How to Job Search in 2026 - FAQ

If you've applied to a job opening and you haven't heard back, you may be tempted to apply agaain.

Don't

Modern ATS platforms have cross-referencing features and will merge profiles.

Even without these, most recruiters will notice, and you’ll lose credibility. No one wants to feel like they’re being played. I know your intentions are good, but it likely won’t come across that way…

If you have the recruiter’s email address (or found them on LinkedIn), feel free to reach out with a gentle nudge. Just be careful not to come across as too pushy.

They probably haven’t missed your resume. There are 2 common reasons for the silence:

• If you applied early in the process, they might still be “pipelining”. That means building a shortlist of great candidates before proceeding to interviews all at once.
• If the job was already open for 2+ weeks before you applied, the most plausible explanation is that they’ve already shortlisted other candidates.

Recruiters usually keep applications open just in case too many top candidates drop out and they need to find backups.

In any case, there’s not much you can do to influence the process at that stage. In today’s market, you have to multiply your options. 🙂

Recruiters receive a lot of attention in the current job market. Reach outs can help, however because of the low success rate, you should only do these for your top company choices.

Here are 3 pieces of advice for cold messaging recruiters:

1. Keep it short.

Recruiters often receive numerous reach-outs, especially at competitive companies. For example, I used to receive 20-30 of them daily at Google. The aim is to get them to review your resume, so the quicker you can get to it, the better.

2. List the position title first.

If you are reaching out via InMail, mention the position name in the message title. If using regular messages or an invitation, include it within the first sentence. Recruiters care about filling positions. If you mention a role they are hiring for, you become immediately more relevant. Large companies often have different recruiters for various departments, so identifying and reaching out to the most relevant recruiter can increase your chances.

3. Make your message about them.

This is a core copywriting principle (yes, this is a sales outreach!). Position your message as an offer to help, rather than as a favor you ask. You are giving, not taking.

Here's a simple example:

"Dear John,
I noticed that you are trying to fill the 'Software Engineer, Infrastructure' position.
I believe my resume would be a valuable addition to your pipeline of candidates.
It appears that the Hiring Manager is seeking a specialist in Cloud Platforms, Automation & Configuration Management, and Networking. All these areas are extensively covered in my profile.
Please feel free to review it and let me know how you prefer me to join the hiring process.
Kind regards,
Tom"

This message does the following:

• It prioritizes the position, encouraging the recruiter to open the message if it relates to their current assignment.
• It positions your application as a potential improvement to their candidate pipeline. (You are so generous! 😇)
• It highlights key requirements, signaling that you meet them. This should at least make them curious enough to open the file.
• It includes a clear call to action (CTA), prompting them to review your resume. You're not asking for an interview or answers to your questions, so it takes very little effort on their behalf to satisfy that ask.
• You're asking "how", not "if" you can join the hiring process. This is another marketing trick to suggest that your relevancy is so obvious that a next step is assumed. By asking "how", you also show flexibility by letting them choose how to proceed, rather than making a request (asking them to share your resume with the Hiring Manager, etc.)