Flip the script and have employers chasing you

This is how you might be feeling. And before I even say anything, know you are not alone. My clients, friends, and family in my DMs feel the same way...

• You're sending applications into the abyss.
• You get that sinking feeling when you realize 300+ people applied for the same position you spent hours customizing your resume for.
• You are watching less qualified candidates land roles because they knew someone inside the company.
• You feel the humiliation of begging for feedback after rejection, only to receive generic non-answers.
• Your unique talents and contributions are reduced to checkboxes on an ATS screening form.
• Your confidence is slowly eroding with each unanswered application.
• Being ghosted after multiple interview rounds where you invested days of preparation.
• Watching companies post the same job repeatedly because they're "waiting for the perfect candidate" (who isn't you).
• The financial strain of prolonged job searches while employers take their sweet time deciding.
• Having to sell yourself short and accept less pay just to end the desperate search.
• The powerlessness of waiting for someone else to determine your professional worth.

[If I missed any fact, emotion, or thought, don’t hesitate to send me a DM or comment below.]

The reason it's so important to get this on the table is because it will get in the way of you getting what you want and deserve.

Now, it’s time to stop waiting for companies to notice your value. The power dynamic in hiring can be reversed when you position yourself as the prize to be won, not just another applicant hoping for approval.

Here are 3 things to help you flip the script.

And at the end, I am going to tell you the one I think gets you the most bang for your buck.

1. Create Your Micro-Monopoly

A well-defined professional identity cuts through the noise of similar-looking candidates.

Define a unique intersection of your skills that makes you a category of ONE. Instead of being "a marketing manager," become "the marketing manager who helped SaaS companies implement AI-driven customer segmentation that increased retention by 32%."

Document your specific methodology and results in a one-pager you can share with target employers before they even post a job.

Your distinctive value proposition will make employers realize they'd be foolish to hire anyone else.

2. Build a Decision-Maker Moat

Direct applications put you in the general candidate pool.

Decision-maker relationships put you in a category by yourself.

I am an investor/trader as well as a career strategist. The #1 thing I look for in a great investment is a company’s strategic Moat, which makes it tough for competition to dethrone them.

When you target the decision makers, you set yourself on an island away from the competition.

Here’s how:

• Map the key leaders at your target companies and create value for them before asking for anything.
• Share thoughtful analysis of their recent product launch on LinkedIn.
• Send them a custom micro-report addressing a specific challenge their company faces.
• Offer to connect them with someone in your network who could solve a problem they mentioned in an interview.

Relationships with decision-makers bypass the traditional hiring process entirely. I know that sounds way better than spam applying. 5 Hidden Strategies for 2025’s Tough Market

3. Showcase Results, Not Responsibilities

Most candidates list what they were supposed to do. Elite candidates prove what they have achieved.

Transform your resume and LinkedIn into a performance portfolio with specific metrics.

Instead of "managed social media," write "increased engagement by 47% within 90 days by implementing a storytelling strategy focusing on customer transformations." Include before/after screenshots, testimonials from leadership, and concrete ROI calculations.

Numbers create credibility that words alone cannot match.

The Elite Candidate Blueprint:

• DO: Quantify everything with specific numbers
• DO: Demonstrate how you solved problems others couldn't
• DO: Create case studies of your work, not just bullet points
• DON'T: Apply through standard job portals if avoidable
• DON'T: Wait for permission to demonstrate your expertise

When you position yourself correctly, employers stop evaluating you and start convincing you to join them. My sports background pushed me into this philosophy in my career and as a career strategist. I have no choice but to position my clients as the most sought after and worthy of convincing to join their teams.

Your unique combination of specialized expertise, established relationships, and proven results makes you the unavoidable solution to their problems.

Now, I promised to tell you which gets you the most bang for your buck. In my mind, this is like those impossible posts where you can only listen to one of these artists for the rest of your life. And picking one for you here is like having Whitney Houston, Anita Baker, Toni Braxton, Adele, Babyface, Michael Jackson, Prince, Stevie, MJB, etc. on the list.

So here goes… #2 Decision-Maker Moat. Now, check the comments as I back out of this final answer decision and change my mind. ??

Alright bet, see you next week!

-Jamila

P.S. Which artist would you pick from this 'off the dome' list of greats I just shared? (I don’t want any internet police micromanaging the list; I listed off the dome with no thought.) Feel free to add your own choice in the comments.

P.P.S. And of the 3 tactics listed, which one do you think you could get the most bang for your buck?