How to Finally Land a Job that Fits

Be honest—how many times have you opened LinkedIn, scrolled through job postings, and thought, Maybe I’ll just apply to everything and see what sticks?

Cool cool cool… except that’s exactly how you end up in another job that makes you wanna scream into a pillow every Sunday night.

If you’re over the whole career crisis thing and ready to finally figure out what kind of work actually lights you up, I got you. After 10+ years in HR, recruiting, and coaching, I’ve found that three key elements make the difference between blindly job-hopping and landing a role that actually fits.

Let’s get into it:

1. Get True Clarity on the Career That Fits Who You Are Now

Here’s the deal: If you don’t know what you’re aiming for, you’re never gonna hit the bullseye.

Most people start job searching by throwing their resume at anything remotely interesting (hello, LinkedIn’s “Easy Apply” button). But if you don’t take the time to actually figure out what you want, you’ll just keep landing in roles that drain you.

So before you start firing off applications, you need to get clear on what kind of career fits your current self—not the version of you that picked a major at 18, not the version that followed a corporate ladder because that’s what you’re supposed to do, but the version of you right now.

Ask yourself:
✅ What strengths & skills do I actually want to use? Not just what you’re good at, but what energizes you.
✅ What are my work-specific values? Think: leadership style, work culture, team dynamics.
✅ What are my dealbreakers? Because knowing what you don’t want is just as important as knowing what you do.

Take Jess, a Pivoter in my community. She spent years in Talent Acquisition at a Big Four firm, totally underpaid and convinced she’d hit a dead end. Once she took a step back and got crystal clear on what she really valued, she realized she wanted to be in Green Energy Program Management—a career she hadn’t even considered before.

Moral of the story? Clarity comes first. You can’t build a fulfilling career on a shaky foundation.

2. Build a Smart Job-Landing Strategy (aka stop throwing spaghetti at the wall)

Once you’ve got clarity, it’s time to actually get hired—but not by applying to 200 jobs and hoping for the best.

The old-school “spray and pray” method is dead. These days, most great jobs aren’t even posted online. So if your job search consists of hitting “Easy Apply” and waiting, you’re missing out on 80% of the opportunities out there.

Here’s what actually works:

👉 Build a Strategic Network

Ugh, I know—networking. But hear me out: Networking doesn’t mean schmoozing at awkward events. It means talking to real people who can connect you to real opportunities.

Start by:

• Following people in roles you’re interested in and engaging with their content

• Reaching out to folks at companies you love (without being weird about it)

• Actually telling people you’re job searching—your next opportunity might come from a casual convo

Example: Jo-Well, another Pivoter in my community, was a daytime TV producer stuck on a stale, male-dominated team. Instead of mass-applying, she leveraged her network and landed a freelance Creative Director role at HBO, where she sets her own rates and gets to be her full creative self.

👉 Ditch Mass Applications & Go Targeted Instead

Applying to 100+ jobs with the same generic resume? Not it.

Instead, do this:

• Apply to fewer jobs, but customize the hell out of your resume & recruiter outreach emails

• Find a current employee at the company and send a quick, friendly message

• Follow up on your applications (yes, you’re allowed to do that!)

👉 Establish Your Candidate Brand

Recruiters are literally Googling you before they even open your resume. So ask yourself:

• Does my LinkedIn scream “I’m the obvious hire”?

• Does my resume tell a clear, compelling story of what I bring to the table?

• Can someone quickly figure out what I do and what I’m looking for?

Your brand should make it easy for the right people to say YES to you.

3. Strengthen Your Mindset to Support Your Transition

Even if you do everything right—get clear, build a strong strategy, position yourself like a pro—your mindset can still make or break your career pivot.

Why? Because job searching is emotionally brutal.

There will be rejection.

There will be radio silence.

There will be moments where you’re like, Do I even have any skills???

Here’s how to protect your mindset during this process:
💡 Rejection isn’t personal. Recruiters are busy, and sometimes the best candidate doesn’t get the job. Keep going.
💡 Self-doubt is normal—but don’t let it run the show. You don’t need to meet 100% of the job description to be qualified.
💡 Keep your eye on the bigger picture. Every “no” is just getting you closer to the right “yes.”

Example: Pivoter Liz was working in Internal Comms at an old-school finance company, completely stuck and questioning everything. But by shifting her mindset—and trusting in her strategy—she landed in Product Marketing at an innovative startup that actually valued her talents.

Bottom line? You can have the best plan in the world, but if you don’t believe in yourself, you’ll stay stuck. Mindset = everything.

Where to Go From Here

Finding a career that fits isn’t about luck—it’s about clarity, strategy, and mindset. When you get those three things right, you can stop settling and start actually loving what you do.

If you’re in the thick of a career identity crisis (hi, I see you), I want you to know: You are allowed to evolve. You’re not meant to stay in a career that drains you just because it’s what you’ve always done.

So here’s your next step: Start with clarity. Take a pause before you jump into another job search spiral. Get real with yourself about what you actually want. And if you need guidance? There are resources, frameworks, and strategies to help you get there.

I created Pivot With Purpose (PWP) to give ambitious, burnt-out professionals the exact blueprint to find & land a career that actually fits. It’s got everything from career clarity exercises to job search strategies to salary negotiation scripts—because you deserve more than just figuring it out as you go.

If you’re ready to take your career from WTF am I doing?! to hell yes, this is what I’m meant to do, I’d love to help.

Until then—remember, you’re capable of way more than you think. 😉

KGYGT (keep going, you got this),

Janel