Think outside the box. 15 strategies for the 2024 job market.
What’s up friends?!
The blog is back! I stepped away from my blog in the middle of 2023 (after we grew it to ~4,000 subscribers). To be honest, I was burned out with work and side projects and wasn’t able to keep up with writing every week. I love writing in long form and I miss adding value to my community in this way so I’ve decided to start up again. I can’t promise new content every week but definitely on a regular basis.
You’ll notice I changed the name to “Tech Dream Job Blog” from “Cyber Dream Job Blog”. I realized that throughout my career I’ve been involved in hiring folks from all sorts of technical backgrounds (developers, engineers, designers, technicians, etc). While I’m passionate about the cyber industry, I want to expand our community to include anyone from any technical trade.
Now, let’s jump into our topic!
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The 2023 tech job market was a dumpster fire. Over 200,000 people were laid off.
2024 isn’t off to a great start with more Q1 lay offs announced.
Things are rough and for many folks this is the hardest job market they’ve ever seen.
Having said that, things aren’t all doom and gloom. People are landing jobs everyday! THERE IS OPPORTUNITY. Please don’t fall into the trap of totally believing, “it’s not me it’s the market.” I know things suck right now but you have to stay positive.
Yes, you will face an uphill battle landing the role you want, but you can win. In this blog I’m going to share some “outside the box” thinking that might give you some fresh ideas on how to approach your job search.
Let’s go!
How to get hired
There are three ways you can get hired:
Apply online
Get a referral
Get recruited
Ok, I left out #4 which is, “your rich parents hooked you up”. Ha! In our dreams, right?
The biggest problem I see is that most job seekers only put effort into method #1 - applying online. They apply to hundreds of jobs praying they get a call while ignoring the possibility of leveraging their network or online presence. To give yourself the best advantage, you should make efforts in each of these areas.
Here are 15 ways you can do just that:
Don’t get stuck searching for one job title.
You can massively expand your search results if you mix up the title you’re looking for. For example, “SOC Analyst” could also be “Security Operations Specialist” or “Tier 1 Analyst”. Do some research on alternate titles!
Search for keywords (skills, technology, industry jargon, etc.).
On LinkedIn you can find job openings by searching for keywords. For example, an Engineer could search for “python” to find opportunities that require that skill set. Consider the top skills/tech stack/industry terms for your target role or do a search for them.
Subscribe to job alerts on LinkedIn and on company career pages.
This seems obvious but my point here is that you should have several alerts set up for job title, target company, etc. Being an early applicant is a huge advantage and this strategy allows you to stay ahead of the game.
Focus on local companies.
You have a greater chance of getting hired for an onsite/hybrid opportunity vs. remote. Consider doing a “people” search on LinkedIn to find people in your local market who work in your target role or industry. Make note of the companies they work at and start building a target list you can focus on.
If you have work history, consider applying to roles in industries you’ve worked in.
You can get noticed by having a relevant background, no matter where you come from. For example, if you’re a nurse going into cybersecurity, you could consider applying to cyber roles in the healthcare industry. Your background in nursing would make you stand out.
Connect with people who are one step ahead of you.
Sometimes the best people to connect with aren’t 30 year veteran mentors. Sometimes they’re people that barely ahead of you in the journey. Consider connecting with people who recently made the same transition you’re trying to make.
Connect with people who have a similar background as you.
The best ice breaker is a shared history. Consider networking with people who have some commonality with you (same college, same location, same previous industry or employer, etc). These folks are more likely to respond to you!
Connect with people on the same journey as you.
Going it alone during a job search can be difficult. Consider connecting with people who are in a similar position as you (looking for work in the same field). If you befriend someone and one of you gets hired, you now have an extremely beneficial contact who can vouch for you.
Connect with people who share the same interests.
Similar concept as stated previously. Only this time you’re connecting with people who have similar hobbies as you. You’d be surprised how many people show up in a search if you type "[job title]” “[hobby]”. Find a group that has the same interests as you and it’ll open doors.
Engage with content related to your field.
Don’t mindlessly scroll around LinkedIn hoping to bump into the right people. Find the people! Type in hashtags or topics that interest you and filter by “posts” to see who’s talking about what. This is one of the best ways to joint he online conversation and meet new people.
Engage with people who work at your target company or work in your target role.
You’re probably thinking, “duh Josh!”. Hear me out on this one. You should have 15-20 target companies where you are focusing your networking efforts. Reaching out to peers and recruiters at these companies is a great way to stay on their radar (or interacting with employee content). Be intentional!
Join groups and communities.
LinkedIn is not the only place to network and collaborate. Consider joining other platforms like Twitter or Discord to find groups where you can find mentorship and job opportunities.
Engage with recruiters in your target industry.
Don’t waste time messaging recruiters who don’ work at your target company or who don’t recruit for your target role. Be intentional about which ones you build relationships with!
Complete your LinkedIn profile.
Complete profiles are more likely to be recruited. Make sure your LinkedIn profile has a compelling and meaningful headline, work history, about write-up, and skills section. This is how you sell your experience online. Make it count!
Consider using tools.
There are loads of tools out there that can help you with resume writing, interview prep, and online marketing. If you’re stuck, do some research in the area where you need help and get yourself a tool.
Ultimately, there’s no “magic wand” in the job search. I believe in doing the basics well and on a consistent basis.
For all those fighting the good fight, good luck!
Thanks Josh. Do you have some time to chat?