692. Expert Interview: Unconventional Strategies to Land the Job You Love

If you do nothing more than submit online applications, you’re playing a numbers game you’re virtually certain to lose. A recent Wall Street Journal survey of major employers revealed that only 20 percent of their job openings are listed online. On top of that, 75 percent of current job-seeks are applying primarily online for that small portion of published openings. So, finding creative ways of reaching the people who know about the jobs and enlisting their help is central to your success.

Starting with some sage advice: Only take advice from the people who already have what you want. Austin Belcak developed ways of targeting those people, and cultivating relationships with them. More importantly, his system takes back control of the career search from the technology that condemns most applications to the virtual trash basket. But it is not simply about gaming the system. Landing the job you want also entails getting smart about cultivating the skills you will need and creating the on-the-job experience employers want through building your own track record.