I’ve been in the agency world for 8 years, and:

1) 3rd party recruiters NEVER worked
2) commenting on “we’re looking for talents” posts NEVER worked
3) cold emailing NEVER worked (got in touch with some folks but most likely they ain’t hiring at the moment)

The things that have worked:
1) easy-applying on LinkedIn (surprise)
2) recruiter reach out
3) someone just knew me and referred to the team that’s hiring

Anything else I’m missing?

like
Posting as :
works at
You are currently posting as works at

The first three have actually all worked for me. With the cold email, it didn’t pan out right away but happened a year later.

likehelpful

The last 10 years I have tried everything pretty much. I have almost never been hired by applying to a vacancy. Last time that worked for me was in 2007.
I have contacted tons of recruiters and never been hooked up with a job by any of them.
I have known people inside agencies but that has only gotten me a foot in the door a couple times.
However every job I’ve had in the last ten years has been from a random recruiter that I had never reached out to, somehow finding me and contacting me first. And also from people who had worked with me who recommended me to a colleague at another agency.

So in short, actually looking for a job has not helped at all. Every job I’ve had has literally fallen on my lap.

like

All of the above have worked for me… YMMV

like

3rd party recruiter got me a job twice, once at the peak of COVID.

like

Same!

I’ve gotten a job from bth of the first two!

like

I got 2 great fulltime jobs from (the same) headhunter who helped push for a higher salary than I knew I could get.
Got my first job from cold emailing (and other offers from cold emailing.)
100% agree about the cattle call LinkedIn posts.
Now as a freelancer almost all my jobs come through personal referrals

like

Easiest way to get a job is if you already have it

Is only ever gotten a job through someone I knew connecting me to the company that’s looking.

Once I got an interview from cold
applying through the front door. I ended up getting the offer but went in a different direction where I had a connection (I liked having the insight on the company from my former colleague).

Never ever got something via a cattle call, but fortunately, those only take a moment to drop my site.

3rd party recruiters worked for me many times before

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