Ditch the Waiting Game: Try This 2-Step Method Instead

PLUS: The power of referrals, following up with recruiters and interview prep steps.

Author

Hannah Morgan
March 30, 2025

Welcome to Career Essentials, where I share actionable insights and curated articles that will help accelerate your career and supercharge your job search.

Ditch the Waiting Game: Try This 2-Step Method Instead

In case you haven’t noticed, the job market is tight; plus, there’s a lot of competition. So you will need to do more than just spray and pray applications out there. 

It’s not enough to apply for a job and hope for the best. And mass-applying—whether manually or with an AI tool—won’t get you hired faster.

Instead, use the 2-Step Method to stand out and gain an advantage.

🔹 Find a job → Find a contact
🔹 Find a contact → Find a job

By taking this approach, you’ll not only differentiate yourself from other applicants but also gain the support of an insider who can help your resume get noticed.

Step 1: Apply Strategically

This part is straightforward.

✔ Find a job online.
✔ Tailor your resume to highlight your most relevant qualifications.
✔ Write a thoughtful cover letter that explains why you want to work at the company—this means doing real research beyond just knowing their name.

Step 2: Find an Insider

This is the step most job seekers skip—but it’s the game-changer.

Find someone who currently works (or previously worked) at the company and reach out. Yes, it takes effort, but securing an internal advocate, ally or informant dramatically increases your chances of getting noticed. This is called an employee referral, and it’s one of the most powerful ways to land an interview.

Bonus: Most companies offer employee referral bonuses which means if you get hired, your friend gets a check! 

💎 Reversing the 2-Step: Start with People, Then Find the Job 💎

If you have a list of target companies, begin by identifying people you know who work there. Reach out and reconnect—even if there’s no job opening at the moment.

Why?

✔ They may know about a job before it’s posted.
✔ They could refer you when something opens up.
✔ They might introduce you to someone hiring elsewhere.

Not everyone will respond, and not every lead will pan out—but what if just one does? That’s all it takes.

Use LinkedIn to Find Insider Connections

LinkedIn is the best tool for this.

📌 Visit a company’s LinkedIn page and see who works there.
📌 Check your connections—first-degree contacts are ideal, but second-degree can be valuable too.
📌 Use your college/university alumni network to find former classmates at your target companies.

AI can’t replace human-to-human connection. And while finding a contact takes effort, the hard work can pay off. 

Remember, people hire people! 

Try the 2-Step Method for a few weeks and see how it changes your job search.

I posted a version of this on LinkedIn this week and if you want to see the support this idea got from other career coaches, read the comments.

Why Referrals Beat Online Applications for Jobs | Greg Roche, The Introverted Networker

If you have never been referred for a job, then you don’t fully understand why it’s so powerful. But the data speaks for itself: 

  • Although only 6% of applications came through referrals, referrals accounted for 21% of interview

Don’t reach out cold to a stranger, follow the instructions in this article! If you aren’t familiar with Steve Dalton’s LAMP formula, it’s explained here and will definitely help. 

Here’s the TL:DR version: 

  • Recruiters are overwhelmed, not ignoring you

  • Their job is to fill roles—not manage your expectations

  • Following up = playing offense

  • Be polite, direct, and persistent

  • It’s your job to stay visible—not theirs to remember you

PS: While Random recommends a couple of tools for tracking applications, let me also recommend Teal’s Job Application Tracker.

Read and/or watch this conversation to better understand what a career transition is in today’s economy. You’re takeaways:

  • Self-Discovery Before Job Searching: Before jumping into a job search, take time to understand your values, aptitudes, and interests. Suzy stresses that knowing yourself first allows for more strategic and fulfilling career moves.

  • Career Paths Are Nonlinear, But Intentionality Matters: Career growth is often a "squiggly path," filled with pivots and detours. However, being intentional about your career choices can help shorten unnecessary missteps and align your work with your purpose.

  • Continuous Learning and Staying Relevant is Key: Job seekers must keep their skills and knowledge up to date. Suzy encourages professionals to stay informed about industry trends, develop a "watch list" of resources, and actively engage in lifelong learning to maintain their career currency.

🤝 NETWORKING

This post probably captures how most people feel about networking but provides you with solutions to reframe the dreaded activity to fit your personality. 

💻 LINKEDIN

I didn’t realize the functionality on the school alumni page is changing until I saw this video by Jeremy. He provides a work-around to research school alumni. The trick is using LinkedIn’s advanced search functionality (a Premium feature). For now, you may still be able to see the old version. I recommend getting the data about alumni you need from the alumni page soon. 

LinkedIn Recruiter software has a feature called Spotlights that allows recruiters (with the LinkedIn recruiting tools) to filter results by Interested in a company and Open to Work. Turn these on! Plus there are 4 other Spotlights that can help you stand out: profile activities, connections at company hiring, previous applications, and being a current employee.   

🗨 INTERVIEWING

These 6 tips cover the most important aspects of preparing for a job interview. But what is particularly helpful is Tegze’s AI prompt for researching a company. Gold! It will save you time! If you get nervous before an interview, research is going to be your friend. And all these tips combined will give you an advantage, because let’s be honest, most people don’t prepare enough for interviews. 

Recruiters- whether internal or external can be your greatest ally, if you know what to ask them. 

These are questions that will help you understand the role and company earlier in the process.

⚙ AI

Here’s the overview of the report: It explores how high-performing companies go beyond automation to strategically integrate AI, leading to superior business outcomes and enabling every employee to become a superworker. While the target audience is HR, the case studies and examples apply to everyone. 

🔮 WORKFORCE

Here are some of the key points covered in this report:

  • The rise — and evolution — of remote work: While not as widespread as before, remote work has remained a key part of the labor market in many countries

  • US Workforce confidence at a level below the early days of the pandemic

  • Substantial dropoffs in women’s representation in leadership and overall workforce globally.

This summary provides a snapshot of Deel’s data from over 10000 organizations worldwide. Thanks to Hung Lee’s Recruiting Brainfood for sharing! Here are the stats from the four top finds:

  • Hiring (74%) and salaries (15%) grew faster for accountants than any other job group.

  • U.S. employers appeared to dial back on layoffs, as terminations never reached 2023 peaks of 74%)

  • Domestic hiring—or hiring within the same country—on Deel’s platform grew 104%, compared to 42% for cross-border—or international—hiring.

  • Gen Z saw a 9% increase in salaries, the largest change when compared to other generations and he lowest percentage of contracts ended by termination (36%)

💰 CAREER

A nice sharable graphic for the many who suffer from glossophobia.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Motivatation Monday Job Search Accountability Group

Mondays, April 7-May 12, 2025
Meetings at 12pm ET
If you need to work collaboratively, hold yourself to task and stay motivated, this small weekly group meeting checks the boxes. 
Details and registration here 

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Mondays, April 14-May 12, 2025
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Plus weekly check-in calls
$39
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JOB SEARCH VISUAL

Networking doesn't mean cold calling.

Get comfortable having conversations by starting with people you already know!

Just reach out to touch base!

Make the conversation about them! I guarantee they will ask about you.

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DID YOU MISS THESE

WEBSITE OF THE WEEK

Tap into the data from LinkedIn to research new career options. It draws data from your profile to show you where your skills match with occupations you select. Plus, shows you people in your network who hold those roles. 

  • Career paths: Unlock potential new roles based on your current skills and experience.

  • Skills comparisons: Discover which skills you need to develop for the next step in your career.

  • Job opportunities: Uncover open roles in your area.

  • Network support: Connect with professionals who can help you on your career journey.