How to Get Hired When You're One of 25,000 Applicants

Companies make bets when they hire a candidate. De-risk hiring you and make yourself the obvious choice.

Some companies report receiving up to 25,000 applications for a single role they have open.

Yes, you read correctly: twenty-five thousand.

If that number makes your stomach drop, good. Now you know how important it is to read the advice I’ll share below.

The tech job market is an employer’s game at the moment. Massive layoffs, hiring freezes, and a flood of highly qualified candidates competing for fewer roles make this one of the hardest times in history for someone looking for a new opportunity.

But trust me: it’s not impossible. But you do need to reframe how you think about it.

When a company hires someone, they’re making a bet. On your skills, your attitude, your ability to ramp up quickly and contribute. Like any good bet, they want the odds in their favor.

That means your goal when applying for a job isn’t only to look qualified. It’s to make hiring YOU feel like the safe, obvious choice.

Think of it like product marketing. People don’t buy the best product, they buy the one they understand and trust to solve their problem.

April Dunford calls it making your product "obviously awesome." Your job search should do the same: position yourself as the clear answer to the company’s job opening problem.

That’s what de-risking yourself means. It’s not about being more qualified, louder, or flashier. It’s about being the safest bet to hire in comparison to everyone else.

Here’s how to actually do that.

Tip 1: Rethink Networking

Most job seekers treat networking like a checkbox: connect with people who have the job you want, reach out to hiring managers, drop your resume in their inbox. You’re done, right? Not quite.

If you’re only networking with other people in your role, you're doing it wrong. These folks are either applying for the same jobs as you or already have them. Even if they like you, they probably don't have much to offer except sympathy. That’s exactly why you should join a Never Search Alone Job Search Council, but this intentional networking is different.

Here’s what to do instead.

Start by making a list of previous coworkers you genuinely enjoyed working with, especially those in adjacent functions like design, engineering, product, or operations. These are people who already know how you work and what you bring to the table. Reach out to reconnect, not to ask for a favor, but just to catch up. You never know what roles they know about at their current company or others.

Later, when you discover an opportunity you’re excited about, it’s a lot easier to ask for a warm introduction if you’ve already reconnected. That introduction makes you feel less like a stranger, which reduces the company’s perceived risk.

You can further increase your odds.

Research who works or used to work at the company you're applying to. See if any of your second-degree connections can bridge an intro. Look for overlaps from your past roles, school, or shared communities.

A final note on networking: Go to events.

Meetups or conferences, it doesn’t matter as long as you can meet new people and create new connections so you are less of an unknown.

Here’s a little secret: don’t attend only events for your own role. If you're a PM, go to a design event. If you're in finance, go to a sales strategy meetup. Similar to the advice above, when you meet people from different sides of the house, they often know of roles before they are published and have less people hitting them up for a referral.

Additionally, recruiters and hiring managers often attend these events, not always to recruit, sometimes just to learn. They remember the people who asked thoughtful questions, and often, they’re hiring for roles that haven’t even made it to LinkedIn or Indeed yet.

This is what real networking looks like. It’s not transactional or mass outreach. It’s increasing the number of people who can say, “Yeah, I know them, and they’re great!” That’s how you go from unknown risk to desirable and hireable.

Tip 2: Show That You Care (Do The Work!)

Many people spend hours preparing answers to commonly asked questions and ways of framing their experience. They however, often miss the important time investment in researching the company.

If all you do is glance at the company’s homepage, and maybe read through the mission statement, that’s not enough. That doesn’t show you care. That just shows you know how to Google.

Real preparation looks like this: you invest at least an hour understanding the company’s business model, product, customer base, and competitive position. You check out recent launches, look at who’s in their leadership team, and understand whether they’re growing, consolidating, or pivoting.

Why does that matter?

Because it tells you what problem they’re trying to solve by hiring someone for the role. Maybe they need someone to scale a team. Maybe they’re entering a new market. Maybe they’re bleeding customers and don’t know why. That context shapes everything you say and write throughout the application process and tells you what kind of candidate they actually need. Are they hiring someone to scale operations, build a new vertical, or bring order to chaos? Tailor what you promote about your own skills and experience to that need. (See obviously awesome by April Dunford note above).

Then there’s the people you’ll be interacting with. Research them as well to show you care.

Who are you meeting in the interview process? Where have they worked before? Do you share any mutual connections? Can you find a thread of commonality, like a shared city, industry, mentor, or even podcast? Familiarity breeds trust, and trust reduces perceived risk.

This level of research helps you answer the question, “Why do you want to work here?” in a way that’s actually convincing. You’re not just listing points, you’re showing that you did the work, that you cared enough to go one step further.

Also, remember that the first impression you make in an interview is the same one they assume you’ll make with coworkers and clients. If you show up sloppy or underprepared, they assume that’s how you’ll show up at work… and that’s a risk to their reputation.

Here’s a little story from my career: it was 2009, and I applied for a job at Myspace. I came from the insurance world, so I showed up for the interview in a suit. Except that everyone in the office was wearing hoodies. I looked ridiculous. I had a great resume and had prepared for the interview, but the first impression I gave wasn’t “I fit in here.” I learned that the hard way.

Tip 3: Everything is a Product, Even You

Here's something no one tells you: if a company is hiring externally, it means they looked internally and didn’t see the right fit.

If they wanted someone they could coach into the role, they’d promote from within.

You have to ask yourself, “What are they missing? What are they hoping to gain from the outside? What from your experience do you bring which will help fill that gap?”

To figure that out, use the M.A.P. framework I teach in my “Life’s a Pitch” course:

Manifest where YOU want to go - be clear on what kind of role you’re aiming for.

Assess where THEY want to go - understand the company, and the problem they’re trying to solve.

Promote where you can go TOGETHER - position yourself as the bridge between what they need and what you offer.

Now, let’s break it down by role level:

• ICs: the company might be seeking industry-specific knowledge or experience with a particular type of customer. If you have that, be sure to show it.

• Mid-level managers: these openings are almost always about process improvement and people leadership. They probably already have domain experts, and they need someone who can unblock others, fix broken systems, and help the team level up. Be sure to promote any management or organizational experience you have (even if you didn’t have the title at the time).

• Executives: Any VP or C-level opening is about filling a strategic leadership gap with a been there, done that person who won’t fall into the same potholes as an inexperienced leader. That might be owning a portfolio, driving growth through new markets, or M&A experience. If they wanted someone they could mold into this role, they’d promote from within. They’re hiring externally because they need someone who’s already done it.

Side note about standing out as a qualified Mid-level manager and Executive: Companies will 100% be evaluating your executive presence. Show off your presentation and communication skills, your ability to influence across various functions, and your experience with setting a vision and making it stick. Check out these tips to learn more.

Your job is to understand the gap and position yourself as the answer. That means tailoring your resume, telling stories in interviews that hit the right signals, and framing your experience not just as a list of what you’ve done, but as proof that you can solve their current and future problems.

Also remember, no matter the level, you need to show that you deliver results. Nothing showcases that more than an outcome oriented resume that focuses on what you delivered time and time again. Sharing the impact you’ve had will excite your potential employer for the potential improvements you will bring to their company.

This is how you market yourself as a product. If you do it well, you make the decision to hire you and feel safe. A lot safer than hiring your competition.

Want to go deeper?

• If you’ve made it to interviews and want to sharpen how you tell your story, this framework for answering product leadership interview questions breaks down exactly what to say and how to say it.

• If you're worried you don’t tick every box in the job description, this piece on working with your unique “PM shape” shows how to highlight what makes you strong, even if you’re not the “perfect” candidate.

Bonus Tip: Enhance your Public Profile

Think about your public profile (LInkedin, Substack, Portfolio, Website etc.) as a way to make it easier for someone to learn about you without needing a phone call. This is not about starting a newsletter or podcast, neither is it about posting on LinkedIn every day.

However, if a recruiter or hiring manager looks you up (and they will), it helps immensely if they find something that shows them how you think. It’s your chance of creating an outstanding first impression that de-risks you in a way that places you ahead of 99% of the competition.

I encourage you to write a few strong posts or publish a case study. Reflect on a project you’re proud of and share your learnings. Remember: show, don’t tell.

I’m not saying you should try to go viral or grow a following, the goal is to create extra data points to build trust.

If this feels too scary, spend 20 minutes a day commenting on other people’s posts. A job seeker once told me it was the only thing that noticeably increased recruiter outreach. LinkedIn tracks engagement, so if you're active, you rank higher in search results. This is because the algorithm sees you’re alive and likely to respond. LinkedIn needs to deliver value to recruiters, and your likelihood to respond is something recruiters want.

Think about how you can show that you too will deliver value and share that with the world.

Conclusion: The Job Market Is Terrible But You Can Still Stand Out

There are a lot of roles which you’ll apply to and not get the position, that’s the reality. Sometimes it’s timing, other times it’s luck. Too often, people miss out because they fail to reduce the company’s risk as much as another candidate. Luckily, you ONLY need one role to work out.

If you’ve been applying and hearing nothing back, ask yourself:

• Have I done enough networking with non-peers?

• Have I shown the company that I care about them and their needs?

• Have I positioned myself to match the problems they need to fix?

• Am I visible in ways that earn trust and build credibility?

Maybe most importantly:
Am I doing all of this every time I apply?

The truth is, most people aren’t.

Companies don’t want to take a chance, they want to place a good bet. Your job is to help them see that decision easily and to be the obvious choice. Show up like the person who will deliver what the team is missing.

Do this for every job you’re interested in and I guarantee it will get you hired… maybe not tomorrow, but soon.

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Strong influence leads to stronger outcomes. Invite Tami to speak or train your team so they can align faster and drive what matters most: myleaderwithin.com
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