This article is inspired by the experiences shared by Lauren Young, a 28-year-old continuing education specialist from Indiana and has been refined for brevity and clarity.
In March, feeling increasingly dissatisfied and overwhelmed in her job, Lauren began applying to several positions daily. Despite her efforts over the three months from March to June, she found herself growing more anxious as her search yielded little success.
Primarily using LinkedIn for her job hunt, Lauren realized that many postings had hundreds or even thousands of applicants. However, upon thoroughly reviewing her search options, she discovered the “under 10 applicants” filter on LinkedIn, which eventually led to her landing a new position within a month.
Reentering the Job Market for a Better Opportunity
With a background in education, Lauren taught elementary school before transitioning to a local retail company where she managed employee training. While this role was not her ultimate career goal, she recognized it as an opportunity to enhance her skills and eventually find a more fulfilling position.
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A year and a half into her position, Lauren decided to seek a new opportunity due to her increasing stress levels. Fortunately, she had built a strong portfolio of technical skills and projects she was eager to showcase in her applications.
Enhancing Job Prospects with LinkedIn’s Filters
Upon re-entering the job market, Lauren became more strategic with her LinkedIn searches. She targeted job postings with fewer applications or newly posted roles, eventually discovering the “under 10 applicants” filter. Located near the bottom of the “all filters” tab, this option proved to be a game changer.
After utilizing this filter, Lauren discovered roles at small businesses that lacked significant visibility on LinkedIn. She found positions similar to those she had been applying for, featuring less conventional titles that would have otherwise gone unnoticed in her searches.
This filter became an essential tool during her final month of job hunting.
Receiving a Job Offer After Many Interviews
Lauren doesn’t recall the specific keyword that led her to her current position. However, she frequently searched terms like “learning,” “training,” and “education” while applying the filter.
In her new role, she assists medical professionals in seeking educational opportunities and further licensure. Despite lacking experience in the medical sector, the posting garnered minimal applicants and had just been listed.
The posting provided the HR email, asking applicants to send their résumé directly. Within a day, she received a response from HR, who were eager to fill the position quickly.
The interview process was swift; Lauren secured her first interview by the end of May and received an offer letter in mid-June, which brought her immense relief.
Adapting Filters for Improved Job Searching
While Lauren experimented with other LinkedIn filters, including the “jobs posted within the last day,” she found that many people also utilized this option. Living near Chicago, she often encountered positions from prominent Fortune 500 companies, which attracted large applicant pools even when listed recently.
Despite doing extensive filtering with the time-sensitive option, Lauren found herself pressed for time, prompting her switch to the under-10-applicants filter, which improved her efficiency.
She expressed a desire for additional filters, such as options for applicant numbers under 50 or 100, since the threshold of 10 can be quite narrow. Ideally, LinkedIn would offer a broader range of filter options concerning the number of applications received.
Success in the New Role and Sharing Insights
One of her colleagues was also seeking a new job during this period and struggled to get responses. After Lauren shared her filtering strategy, her coworker secured her first interview, paving the way for her current role.
While Lauren’s new position may have exceeded 10 applicants at the time of her coworker’s application, it instilled confidence by enabling her to secure that first interview.
Overall, Lauren’s new position has been transformative. She enjoys primarily remote work, attending the office only once a month, benefitting from excellent company perks, generous PTO, and a commendable work-life balance.
Do you have a job search success story? Reach out to this reporter at aapplegate@.
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### Hustle Verdict
Our take is that Lauren’s story shines a light on the evolving dynamics of job hunting in today’s competitive environment. The introduction of strategic filters like the “under 10 applicants” option allows candidates to navigate crowded job markets more effectively, shifting the focus toward quality over quantity. We believe this trend marks a pivotal shift for both job seekers and employers, emphasizing the critical need for tailored recruitment strategies in the future.
