Stop Doing What Isn’t Working: Counterintuitive Moves That Land Jobs Faster

Stop Doing What’s Not Working: Try the Moves That Actually Get You Hired

Last week I welcomed three new people onto the 45‑Day Job Search Sprint. Different backgrounds, different stories—same problem: what they’ve been doing hasn’t been working. The lesson that cut through everything? It’s not the “perfect CV” or another round of generic interview prep. It’s the brave, counterintuitive actions you actually take.

A One-Week Win From a Simple Repost

• One client had been looking for a while. He’d posted on LinkedIn months ago. With a nudge and some confidence coaching, he simply reposted it.

• People reached out. An interview landed fast. We squeezed in a interview prep session on Thursday, half an hour before the interview.

• He believed he “talked too much” and “waffled.” He wasn’t. His examples were solid he’d just tightened himself into silence, maybe believing some crap that someone 'helpful' had told him before.

• The switch: “Speak more.” Give full, relevant examples. Own your value. He did, and got offered a contract one week into the Sprint.

Takeaway: Confidence follows evidence, and evidence comes from doing. Sometimes we need a little push to do.

The Hard Truth About “Good Enough” CVs

I asked someone how many roles they’d applied for. “100+.” Interviews? “One.” They told me they thought their CV was 'fine'.

Your CV may be “fine” to a human, but it often never reaches one. Volume is brutal; ATS and rTech filter heavily. In the Sprint, we:

• Maximise keywords with intention (not stuffing). Use AI - and our humanity.

• Use every angle to get you in front of humans: reposts, polite hiring‑manager reach outs, network nudges, smart follow-up.

• Replace passive applying with proactive visibility.

If you’ve applied for months with little traction, your process isn’t “fine.” It’s failing you. Change it.

Counterintuitive (and Effective) Job Search Moves

Most professionals do what feels safe:

• Mass apply first, network later (or maybe not at all?!).

• Edit themselves down in interviews.

• Wait for recruiters to notice them. That’s why their search stalls.

What works (even if it feels uncomfortable):

• Repost the thing you’re nervous about.

• Message the hiring manager with a useful micro‑insight.

• Share a short, specific win from your last role with a call to chat.

• In interviews, give complete STAR answers, even if it feels like “too much.” It’s not, if it’s relevant.

Confidence vs. responses is a loop. Less response, less confidence. Break the loop by taking actions that create response. You don’t need motivation first; you need movement first.

For the Busy (Still‑Working) Candidates

Two new Sprint joiners are still working. Yes, it’s tricky to fit in. That’s why we prioritise things like - Micro‑asks (one DM, one repost, one targeted application).

When time is scarce, precision wins. Building momentum, even one comment on Linked In at a time is still momentum.

Feedback, Iteration, and Why Interviews Feel Broken

I received Sprint feedback last week, great, because iteration is how we keep this razor‑sharp. I get you to improve, but I need to walk my talk. I’m exploring sharing daily prompts to keep momentum high (and will sanity‑check with the group so it’s genuinely useful, not noise and irritation!).

Why interviews feel so awful right now:

• Too many applicants.

• Too little feedback.

• People's confidence erodes in silence. We can’t fix the market, but we can control your visibility, relevance, and response rate.

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Same Problems, Different Countries

I joined Curtis L. Jenkins,🎙Global Keynote Speaker/Author, PMP - The Visionary to Reality Podcast (out soon). He’s US‑based, and guess what: same problems across the US, Europe, Asia, Australia. Over‑supply of applications, under‑supply of human attention.

In my mind, the solution remains the same: counterintuitive, confidence‑building action that gets you seen.

Here's the Truth

• If you’ve sent 100+ applications and had one interview, your process isn’t working.

• If you’ve had 15 interviews and no offer, your interview technique isn’t “fine.”

• If you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep getting what you’ve always got.

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The good news? Change works fast when you do the right uncomfortable things.

Actionable Next Steps (Do These This Week)

1. Repost a value‑led LinkedIn update with a clear ask (or invite to chat).

2. Message one hiring manager with a 3‑line note and a relevant insight.

3. Practise one STAR story out loud. Time it to 90–120 seconds. Say more, not less, tighten it up and complete.

4. Audit your last 10 applications. If you haven’t had responses, change your approach: fewer, better‑matched roles + direct outreach.

5. Track actions, not just outcomes. Momentum is a metric.

If you’re done guessing and want structured, accountable change, join the 45‑Day Job Search Sprint. Expect counterintuitive moves, real‑time support, and quick pivots. Or book a free discovery call and let’s see what would move the needle fastest for you.