Struggling to Land Interviews in 2025? Here’s Why (and What to Do Instead)

One of my clients, an experienced data analytics professional, applied to 150+ roles with zero interviews. After we reworked her strategy, she landed three interviews in two weeks. The difference wasn’t her qualifications, it was her positioning.

If you’ve applied to 100+ jobs and heard crickets, it’s not just you and it’s not just your resume. The rules of landing interviews have changed, and there is a lot of bad advice out there.

I am not here to dismiss well-meaning advice from people who genuinely want to be helpful in this brutal market. If anything, I am impressed at how many people are offering advice and insight into how to land a job in 2025. I have so much to say on this topic. For now, I am going to focus on interviews…

Let’s first acknowledge what so many people are feeling: applying for jobs in 2025 feels like falling into an endless void. The market is saturated and even highly qualified candidates are being overlooked and ignored. I have read so many posts from job seekers talking about how frustrating, demoralizing, and exhausting this process is.

I am a straight shooter and will always keep it real. Landing interviews today requires more than just a polished resume and a few clicks. Don’t get me wrong, step one most definitely needs to be ensuring your career deliverables are flawless and are marketing you effectively. Plus, job seekers must pivot (this word is so overused, but in this case it fits) and adapt to what is needed right now. Strategies that worked in 2019, or even in 2022, aren’t cutting it anymore.

Here’s a quick overview of the obvious which bears repeating:

• Oversupply of candidates: Remote work opened the floodgates. You’re not just competing locally anymore, you’re up against global talent.
• Generic applications: Mass applying without tailoring is a fast track to the “no” pile. I have said this a thousand times and I will keep saying it as often as I need to. QUALITY OVER QUANTITY is the best strategy and yields the highest success rate in my 20 years of experience.
• Recruiters are overwhelmed: Human beings are still reviewing your resume. My recruiter friends consistently tell me they are reviewing resumes, but they are also leaning more heavily on referrals, internal pipelines, and AI-driven screening.
• Advice overload: LinkedIn is flooded with tips, but not all advice is created equal. Many well-meaning posts lack strategic depth or real-world testing.

SO WHAT SHOULD YOU DO INSTEAD?

Here are a few shifts that can dramatically improve your chances of landing meaningful interviews:

• Think beyond the job boards: Networking, employee referrals, and building visible thought leadership on LinkedIn often get you in the door faster than a cold application. Recruiters may only review the first 100 resumes due to burnout so it’s crucial that you apply early and NETWORK.
• Build a list of target roles and a list of target companies: Stop applying to everything and start applying to the right things. This means aligning your resume and outreach with roles that match your actual strengths and interests, and with companies that align with your values. A tailored strategy works, mass applications usually do not.
• Digital Presence Alignment: Your LinkedIn profile, resume, (and portfolio if applicable) should tell a consistent story. If they don’t, recruiters move on.
• Position yourself differently: In a sea of qualified candidates, clarity around your value proposition becomes the deciding factor. Figure out your specific strengths and be able to discuss them clearly.

Landing meaningful interviews in 2025 means applying smarter, not harder. If you’re tired of applying and hearing nothing back, it’s time to rethink your strategy. Let’s talk! This is exactly the work I do with my clients. I help them position themselves successfully and land interviews for roles they actually want.