Tip 5: The Focused Job Search Strategy That Leaves Spray-and-Pray in the Dust
Most job seekers think they have a volume problem.
They’re convinced the reason they aren’t landing interviews is because they’re not applying to enough roles.
So what do they do?
They load up their pipeline with dozens of job postings, fire off the same resume to 50 places a week, and feel productive because the activity level is high.
But guess what?
Activity is not the same as traction.
One client I worked with spent three months in this exact loop.
Hundreds of applications submitted.
The only thing growing was his frustration.
Not a single interview request. Not one real opportunity.
When we finally dug in, it was obvious: his approach was all surface, no depth.
He was spraying his resume everywhere and hoping something would stick.
It never does.
Why Focus Crushes Volume
A focused approach is different. It’s slower on the front end, faster on the back end. It forces you to get intentional, strategic, and human.
Instead of chasing 100 roles with generic materials, you pick 10-15 companies that you actually care about.
You research them inside out.
You figure out who the hiring managers, team leads, and internal influencers are.
You look for current pain points they might be facing based on industry news, press releases, or shifts in their product lines.
Then you reach out directly.
Short, tailored, problem-focused emails.
No resume attachments.
No desperate language.
Just genuine curiosity and a quick line on how you might be able to help.
The result?
You skip the automated gatekeepers.
You get into real conversations.
You become memorable.
One client stopped sending 30 applications a week.
Instead, he sent 15 highly targeted emails over two weeks.
He booked five interviews from those emails.
By week four, he was turning down offers that weren’t aligned.
The Simple Math That Always Wins
Here’s what most people get wrong.
They think: more applications equals more chances.
In reality, every extra generic application weakens your personal brand.
It spreads your effort thin.
It burns out your energy.
Meanwhile, every focused connection compounds.
Five meaningful conversations with the right people at the right companies beats 100 faceless applications every single time.
Because hiring managers do not sit around scrolling resumes for fun.
They pay attention to candidates who reach out directly, who understand their business, who show up as potential problem solvers instead of passive job seekers.
What a Focused Strategy Actually Looks Like
Pick 10-15 companies you’re genuinely interested in.
Identify the real decision makers - not just HR. Think department heads, VPs, even CEOs in smaller companies.
Study their challenges. Read earnings calls, recent announcements, customer reviews.
Send short, personal, value-oriented emails.
Follow up two or three times.
Be ready to have a conversation about their needs, not just your resume.
This is not busywork. This is work that gets results.
A Final Challenge
Before you hit “apply” on yet another job board post, pause and ask yourself:
Is this just another attempt to feel productive?
Or could you take that same 30 minutes and use it to identify one real human you could connect with today?
Most people never make this pivot.
They stay stuck in application purgatory because it feels safer.
But careers don’t change because you stay safe.
They change when you take ownership of how you show up in the market.
If your strategy is to stand out, not blend in, focus will always outperform volume.