Smart Job Hunting: Tips & Strategies to Get Hired

If you’re serious about your career, you have to stay ahead of the curve. It’s my little secret, but I generally try to give an interview every six months. Why? Not because I’m desperate for a change, but because I need to know where I stand, what the market demands, and what areas I need to improve. This keeps me constantly on my toes.

The approach to finding the right career for yourself changes when you’re not desperately looking, and I’m sharing those tips, tricks, and fun stories of how I approach this problem. The biggest takeaway from my experience, from scaling a four-member startup to working at a large MNC, is that the job market has fundamentally changed.

The Great Shift: Survival vs. Domination

Understanding the mindset of the organization you’re applying to is critical. My career journey, from an early-stage startup to a large service-based company, and eventually to a product-based giant, gave me direct insights into what companies value.

For example, a startup is constantly looking for survival; their focus is on the next quarter. If I approached my CEO at a startup with an idea for 100 crores of revenue, they would be ecstatic. But if I approached a large MNC with the same number, they might ask, “Why such a small target?“.

Large organizations aren’t looking for survival; they’re looking for long-term, big markets they can dominate over the next two or three years. This difference in mindset helps you understand what they are interested in learning from the people they hire.

The Three Major Trends Reshaping the Job Market

In my experience, especially since the rise of AI and large language models, there are three major shifts you need to be aware of:

1. From Knowing to Doing: The Power of Proof of Work

The job market is shifting from hiring someone who knows things very well to hiring someone who has actually done these works.

• Demonstrate Your Ability: As a hiring manager, I’m interested in candidates who have demonstrated ability over mere knowledge. It’s not enough to say you know Java or Python; you must show it through projects or built applications.
• No More Excuses: If you’re a fresher thinking you lack experience, that barrier is gone. The difficulty of building things has dropped significantly with AI. You don’t need a formal task; you can take the initiative to build any solution you want – even if it’s building a popular website like MakeMyTrip again.
• The Portfolio Advantage: A strong portfolio of work gives you an edge over a thousand applications that all claim to be a perfect fit on a resume. I would always prefer people who have done the work versus those who have only learned the work.

Examples of portfolio across disciplines:

Give this a read: 18 Top Jobs after an MBA Program

2. Skills and Adaptability Trump Degrees

While degrees are great, I am much more interested in skills and adaptability.

• Build Your Skillset by Doing: You cannot learn swimming by just reading a book; you have to jump in the water and figure it out. Similarly, the only way to get a skill is by actually doing the work.
• Vary Your Projects: To show adaptability, you should try to build at least 4 or 5 projects for yourself, even if they are in completely different domains. This proves you can think through new, topical problems.

You might find this interesting: Fastest Growing AI Job Skills

3. Optimizing Your Reach and Brand

Your job search is a multi-pronged approach that goes beyond just a resume.

• Use AI for Acceleration: The barrier to learning is very low today. You can use tools like ChatGPT or Gemini and ask them to teach you how to do something as if you were a five-year-old. Use enough AI tools to learn, prepare, and create variations of your resume.
• Master the Interview Story: Your two most important answers are: “Tell me about yourself” and “Why are you the best candidate for this role?“.
  • Write it out: I literally typed out everything I thought I should say when telling my story – not with ChatGPT, but myself. This helps you realize what you’ve missed.
  • Practice with AI: Use tools like ChatGPT or Gemini to assume the role of the hiring manager for the specific job role you’re applying for and practice the interview.
  • Refine your answers: Take the questions, write your answers, and then use AI to improve what you should have highlighted more.
• Be Strategic with Recruiters: Recruiters are judged on their ability to find the right candidate faster. If you over-communicate and make their job easy, they will likely prioritize you. Sending a personalized message, perhaps even a short video explaining why you are the best fit, can make the difference.

Ultimately, it’s not just about the resume anymore. You need a good understanding of tools, a strong proof of work, a sharp resume, and a personal brand that drives better job outcomes.

Elevate Your Skills

This new era of smart job hunting demands a proactive approach to learning and building. If you’re looking to get ahead by gaining the demonstrable skills the market needs today, especially in high-demand areas like technology, product management, and digital transformation, I encourage you to explore programs that focus on practical application. Online Manipal’s commitment to upskilling aligns perfectly with the need for building a strong ‘Proof of Work’ portfolio and ensuring you have the skills and adaptability to dominate the next phase of your career.