[rimeice]

I understand the spray and pray sentiment, but I cannot recommend enough hustling connections at the companies you’re targeting. Channel your inner SDR and stalk the company, the people you’d work with and the best guess at who would be your boss. Clearly don’t be creepy, but connecting on LinkedIn, mentioning you’ve applied, generally seeing what these people are up to is 100% free and you might even spot an event they’re attending that you could “bump in to them”. It’s so hard for someone not to do some sort of follow up if you’ve met them face to face and had a pleasant conversation such as recommending the hiring manager follow up with you etc. Having a direct connection means you can also prod someone every couple of weeks if you haven’t heard anything from your initial application. Most of the time people are embarrassed their company is being slow on processing good applicants. It’s hard but it really makes you stand out from the pure spray and prayers.

[mettamage]

I have tried stuff like this but I feel you know much more about it than I do.

Can you low-key coach me how to do this better? My email is in my profile.

Emphasis on low-key. I don’t want to take too much of your time.

[rimeice]

Sure, I’ll drop you an email.

[usernamed7]

I assure you if i had done this, I would not have a job right now. This may have worked in the past, but not in this job market. It's a numbers game now, and when you've only got a few months until you're homeless you do not have the time to mess around.

[rimeice]

Honestly, I disagree, my partner just did exactly this. 50+ “cold” applications with a single first round interview. Tracked down where the head of design of one company was going to be at an event, cornered her, chatted for 10mins and was then fast tracked through an interview process and had the job signed 2 weeks later. I know that is a sample of 1, but I’ve spent most of my time as the hirer, going the extra mile to stand out does make a difference even more so in this f’d up AI infected hiring world we’re now in.

[tstrimple]

Your sample size leaves much to be desired. I lean towards the takes that you're indistinguishable AI fluff with no real value. If you could have offered more value and you had more people you had worked with in the past that thought highly of your work you wouldn't have struggled nearly as much. I'm not sure why your former colleagues won't stick their neck out for you. But I do think that reflects more on you than the current hiring environment. It's in vogue to blame others for your own problems right now, so I understand where you're at and what you're struggling with to some degree. But it's not the immigrant's fault.

[j2kun]

15 years of experience and you're a few months from being homeless? My friend, there's a lot you're not telling us.