Joseph Haecker

By Joseph Haecker A couple of weeks ago, I ran a simple poll on LinkedIn: “What is the best way to land a job in today’s market?” The results were interesting: 🔹 Sending resumes & cover letters — 8% 🔹 A referral from a friend — 65% 🔹 Building a personal brand — 23% 🔹 Other — 4% Those numbers tell a story — but the story they tell isn’t the whole reality of how hiring actually happens today. Let’s unpack what people think works vs. what data shows actually works. Reality Check: Referrals...

If you’re job hunting right now, you’re not imagining it: the process feels colder, noisier, and more exhausting than it used to. We were promised efficiency. Instead, we got a system where: job seekers are encouraged to “apply everywhere,” employers are flooded with applicants, ...and software is tasked with deciding who deserves to be seen A lot of people respond to that reality by asking, “How do I beat the algorithm?” But here’s the uncomfortable truth: Algorithms and AI are only relevant...

A recent Forbes post made the rounds on LinkedIn with a headline that felt, at first glance, refreshingly encouraging: “Why You Should Apply to Jobs Even If You’re Not Fully Qualified.” The post cited data suggesting that only a small percentage of candidates apply for roles when they don’t meet every requirement, while recruiters frequently hire people who fall short on paper but demonstrate adaptability, potential, and transferable skills. The implied message was simple: job seekers are...