By Sam Wright · Head of Career Strategy at Huntr.co

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Hi, I'm Sam. I lead career strategy at Huntr, where I was the first hire in 2021. Let's connect on LinkedIn to lift each other up. Or add me on Happenstance to browse my connections and find people I might be able to refer you to.

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As seen in Forbes, Business Insider, The Wall Street Journal, The Seattle Times, Salon, HubSpot, The Job Hopper, ZDNET, CIO, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

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Used by career centers. Yale, UCLA, UChicago, Carnegie Mellon, Georgetown, Michigan, and 40+ other schools link to Huntr's tools and research. Our research has been cited by Quartz, Crain's Chicago Business, Forbes Japan, Coursera, The Business Journals, and many more.

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I built this guide from 1,000+ free calls with job seekers and data on about 2 million applications. It’s October 20th, 2026, and my goal is to be as helpful as possible to you in your job search.

"Even if you have a well-crafted resume, Sam can help point out the minor details or missing elements which take it from very good to great." Technical project manager, in a public LinkedIn recommendation, June 2026

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20% off your first month of Huntr Pro. Use code Sam20 at checkout on huntr.co/pricing.

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For Huntr Pro subscribers using this guide

Email me at [email protected] to schedule your weekly session.

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Free 15-minute call and resume review

Book your free call

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Where are you starting from?

Pick the one that sounds most like you.

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I need a job now

Aim for the title you just had, and apply where interview rates are highest.

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I'm going for my dream job

Run a reach search next to your main one, and lean on referrals.

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I'm looking for my first job

Lead with projects, internships, and proof you can do the work.

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I just got laid off

Don't sign yet. Negotiate severance, file for unemployment, and map your people.

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I'm changing careers

Keep your industry or your job title, and change the other.

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I'm worried about ageism

Ageism is real, but in our data 20+ years of experience didn't hurt. Keep the experience you have.

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For Coaches, recruiters, and career centers: Happy to connect and see how we can work together. For career coaches and advisors

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TL;DR

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6 things that matter most

  1. Apply on Google Jobs and company sites. Google Jobs had a 6.6% interview rate. LinkedIn had 1.95%.
  2. Tailor every resume. Tailored resumes got 1.85x the interview rate.
  3. Apply 10 to 20 a week, and match each one. 11 to 20 applications: 8.12% interview rate. 100+: 2.86%.
  4. Ask for referrals, and keep applying. 40% of referred applicants reach an interview, against 3% of everyone else. But cold applicants still fill most jobs.
  5. A person reads your resume. Fast rejections come from knockout questions on the form.
  6. Plan for 3 to 4 months. The median time to a first offer was 103 days in Q3 2026. </aside>

Where are you stuck?

Pick the problem that sounds like you.

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Not enough jobs?

Widen your titles and look past LinkedIn.

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Common questions