I recently came across an SOS from a former ST lifestyle writer. She left her job some time ago, has been struggling to find another, and mentioned having only $500 or $5000 left in her bank account.

Besides liking and reposting her plea for wider reach, I checked out her profile, hoping to learn more about her work so I could make recommendations if opportunities came up.

But there was nothing there.

This reminded me of a recent CNA article about job seekers' woes. You can expect the usual narratives—market is bad, sent out 1000 applications but got zero interviews, need more upskilling, etc. These stories aren't new.

My friend recently sent me CVs from his kids who both graduated recently. I'm not surprised why they're struggling to get into the job market.

Not with those kinds of CVs.

I could achieve the same outcome by sending out blank PDF sheets.

Here's what desperate job seekers don't realise: You think you're doing all you can, but you're playing by the wrong rules. 

You think finding a job is linear—good CV + applications = job. It isn't.

The brutal truth? Who you know works better than what you know. That's why nepo babies exist. They don't have better skills; they have better connections. You can't control who your parents are, but you can control who you know.

Yes, the market is bad. But life doesn't come with a walkthrough guide, nor is it linear. Your career advisor from university may have painted a bed of roses, but don't let their script become your expectations. Expectations don't put food on the table.

Perhaps I was more gung-ho because I knew I didn't have the academic chops back then. My first job out of NS was with StarHub call centre, and I only had O Levels. I studied part-time and slowly acquired my diploma, advanced diploma, and eventually a bachelor's degree from UWA through distance learning. But I knew how distance learning continued to be frowned upon then. Because of that, I put in more effort to overcome my perceived deficit. And it helped.

In my 20s, I took serious effort to dress up my CV. I A/B tested font types—serifs because they looked more professional. I included company logos of past employers and overviews of what they did because you can't expect everyone to know your employer if they're not household names. I even went for a photoshoot to include a professional photo. To all CV experts who frown on photos in CVs—shoot me. It got me the job.

My job search journey was cut short when I started a recruitment business in 2004, and suddenly I was on the other side of the table. I probably read hundreds of thousands of resumes then and learned what works and what doesn't. It even culminated in a book: "Everything You Wish to Ask a Headhunter."

Even though I'm independent now, there are parallels between what I do and job searching.

We're both selling the services we can deliver as individuals. If you're ready to stop playing CV shuriken blindfolded, here are strategies that actually work:

1. Ask for Advice, Not for Jobs

There's a common startup phrase: ask for money and you get advice; ask for advice and you get money. As a career coach, I taught and applied this tactic to great success.

I had clients reach out to potential hiring managers, explaining they were at a crossroads and needed career advice because they wanted to follow their footsteps to success.

My client hit rate was 60%, and this was pre-Zoom.

But that's not the end. You then monitor the prospect's employer career page. If something hits, reach out again and get them to refer.

Why does this work?

Psychology - they see you as the younger version of themselves. Especially if they had to struggle hard then, helping you = helping their younger self.

2. Content Creation Opens Doors

My content creation got me into 3 jobs.

The first was as a part-time BD in a TA tech startup because I was creating blog posts about HR Tech - an area I wanted to get into but couldn't.

My reputation skyrocketed after creating my HR tech market map (I mentioned this in my last issue), and that helped bring my name overseas. That's how I got recognised in India at an HR Tech conference. The head of marketing recognised me and brought me to their booth. We arranged to meet the founders at their office, and the rest is history.

My last corporate role at IHRP came because I was podcasting (here is that episode), and my previous boss was invited on as a guest. I told all my guests after recording that I was looking and appreciated their help if they knew something. A role was created for me, and I got the job.

Content creation helps, especially if it's directionally the same as what you wish to get into. My visibility helped put me front and centre. It's like getting onto page 1 of Google.

3. Build Your Own Experience

I was not qualified to be a career coach in 2014, but I became one anyway because there's no one to stop me. The business itself didn't last, but the experience did.

That made me equipped when a role as ops director at Ingeus came about, as they required someone with the combination of recruitment and career coaching experience—both things I had started on my own.

Don't wait for people to give you permission to gain experience. If you can, gain it now. Not necessarily in the form of a business, but you can always start with volunteering.

Check out Jeraldine Phneah's recent video on what she did during her transition.

4. Go the Extra Mile

One memorable client I met at Ingeus was an engineer who wanted to pivot to data analytics (it was hot back then). There was a company open to hiring people fresh from data analytics courses, but they only wanted the best.

We had many clients who completed the course, but only this guy got the job.

Why?

He took on an unpaid internship for 6 months at HP. That gave him the hands-on experience and edge over others who simply knew things on paper.

If full-time isn't available, get experience as an intern. As Loki said, "I count experience as experience."

5. Rally Your Tribe

This may be more for senior roles, but a friend of mine was enamoured with a head of TA opening at Lego. This was posted by a Lego TA person on her LinkedIn.

Any rando would just apply and move on. He rounded up a group of us to drop comments on her post, mentioning in our own ways that Michael was the man for the job.

Can you imagine how the recruiter would react if 10 different people said the same thing?

You'd definitely want to meet this person and see what's going on.

He didn't get the job, but he got noticed. The strategy works to get you in the door—the rest is up to you. Are you rounding up your tribe to help your battle?

The job market isn't a lottery where you buy more tickets and hope for the best. It's a game of strategy, creativity, and relentless hustle.

While others are throwing their CVs into the void and wondering why the universe isn't responding, you can be the one who rewrites the rules.

Your next step: Start with strategy #1 this week. Reach out to someone you admire and ask for advice. Or begin building your body of work - create content in your field or volunteer to gain experience. Stop waiting for permission to be noticed.

Your future self will thank you for refusing to be just another face in the crowd.

🎧 Podcast

In this special in-studio episode of The Adrian Tan Show, I sit down with Sarah Wong, a former Silicon Valley professional, now a podcast host, a consultant, and a mom of two.

Sarah shares her personal journey from experiencing career burnout, transitioning to motherhood, and shifting to a portfolio career. She also talks about her podcast @makeitwork.podcast which focuses on inspiring stories of modern working moms in Asia.

Sarah covers her work as a venture partner, a real estate licensee, and her heavy involvement in mentorship programs aimed at helping women in tech and leadership.

Tune in to discover her strategies for balancing professional and personal life, her insights on overcoming career transitions, and her unique approach to integrating rest into her busy schedule.

This episode is brought to you by Deel, the all-in-one platform simplifying global team management with payroll, HR, IT, and compliance solutions, trusted by over 35,000 businesses worldwide. Learn more at ⁠deel.com/adriantan⁠.

Adrian Tan
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