5 Controversial Opinions on Job Hunting 99% of the World Agrees With—But I Do Not

I have been interested in how people actually land jobs for a long time.

And over the past 8 years, I’ve come across a lot of strong opinions about job searching that, at first, I agreed with. But the more I learned and educated myself, the more I disagreed.

Until eventually, I realized the only reason these beliefs had become mainstream was because “a lot of other people” agreed with them too, not because they actually worked.

So, after thousands of hours immersing myself in the realities of hiring, recruiting, and career strategy, here are 5 controversial opinions I have about job hunting:

1. Applying to more jobs increases your chances of getting hired.

I’m not saying you should stop applying for jobs.

I’m just saying applying is the least effective way to get hired.

2. If you’re qualified, the right job will come.

Contrary to popular belief, being qualified doesn’t get you hired. Being known does.

I’ve seen it over and over again:

• Someone with a perfect resume applying endlessly and getting nowhere.

• A highly skilled professional ghosted after final-round interviews.

• An under-qualified but well-connected person landing a job before it’s even posted.

Relying on “qualifications” is a fast track to being ignored.

3. Most job seekers are playing the wrong game.

“Most people” do what “most people” do.

Which leads to…

• 80% of jobs never being publicly posted.

• Over 30% of jobs getting filled internally (not counting referrals).

• Only 2% of applicants ever getting an interview.

  
  

Clearly, what “most people do” doesn’t work.

So do something else.

4. Networking is just asking for favors.

99% of the time, people think networking means begging for jobs.

Instead, build relationships before you need them.

Here’s how:

1. Share what you’re working on publicly.

2. Add value to conversations without asking for anything.

3. Stay top of mind so opportunities come to you.

5. "It's easy for you to say, you have a job."

I used to think job security came from being employed.

Wrong.

I’ve seen entire teams wiped out overnight.I’ve seen top performers laid off with zero warning.I’ve seen “safe” careers disappear.

The only real job security? Being irreplaceable.

Yesterday, I saw a woman in my enablement circle get laid off from AWS.

I jumped on a quick call to hear her goals. Then, I called someone in my network hiring for an enablement role. I connected them. They’re chatting later this week.

That’s not luck. That’s career insurance.

Because I don’t just have a job. I have a reputation.

When you help enough people win, you never lose.

If you want to stop losing, let's talk.