👋 Hello Friends!
Welcome to Never Finished — the newsletter for professionals who are done applying to 200+ jobs and getting ghosted.
Each week, I share 3 short ideas to help you land interviews on demand — no résumé roulette required.
Let’s get you moving again.
💭 Someone With Less Experience Than You Just Got The Interview
Someone with fewer years of experience than you
just got an interview for a role you applied to.
You saw it on LinkedIn.
Same company.
Same title.
They posted:
“Excited to start the interview process 🚀”
You didn’t even get a rejection.
No update.
No signal.
Nothing.
And for a second, a thought crossed your mind that felt uncomfortable.
Not “they’re lucky.”
But—
What if I’m following the wrong advice?
That’s the moment we need to talk about.
Because if “apply more” worked,
this wouldn’t keep happening.
🪤 What You Were Taught That’s Now Hurting You
A few weeks ago, Arjun Mehta came to me.
Mid-career professional.
7 years of experience.
Strong companies on his resume.
He wasn’t confused.
He was frustrated.
He shared his tracker.
214 applications.
Over 3.5 months.
Zero interviews.
Not one.
And he said something I hear all the time:
“Ajay, I’m doing everything recruiters recommend.
I apply every day.
I tailor keywords.
I’m not being lazy.”
He was right.
Arjun wasn’t lazy.
He wasn’t underqualified.
He was obedient.
So I asked him a question no one had asked him in 214 applications:
“Why this role?”
He looked at the job description.
Then at his resume.
After a pause, he said:
“Honestly… it fits my background.”
That answer explained everything.
Because “it fits my background”
is not a reason to hire someone.
It’s a reason to filter them out.
Arjun wasn’t choosing roles.
He was letting portals choose for him.
That’s the advice we’re all taught.
Apply widely.
Let recruiters decide.
Increase your chances.
So I told him to stop.
Not forever.
For 7 days.
No applications.
No alerts.
No “just one more.”
Instead, we did one uncomfortable thing.
We cut his entire job search down to 6 roles.
Not roles he could do.
Roles where his experience solved an obvious problem.
For the first time, Arjun had to choose.
One role.
One problem.
One story.
Nothing else changed.
Same skills.
Same resume content.
Same market.
But within 14 days of switching approach:
• 3 interview calls
• 2 direct replies from hiring managers
• 1 referral — without asking
When he messaged me after, he said:
“I thought I needed more applications.
Turns out I needed to be easier to recognize.”
That’s when it clicked.
The advice wasn’t bad.
It was just built for a job market that no longer exists.
🔓 What This Changes for You
This isn’t about working harder.
It’s about stopping the behavior that makes you invisible.
Mass applying doesn’t signal effort anymore.
It signals uncertainty.
And the market doesn’t reward uncertainty.
It rewards clarity.
And before you think this only worked because Arjun had 7 years of experience — I’ve seen the same shift work for people with 2 years, career switchers, and even fresh grads, because clarity beats experience when recruiters are screening.
🎯 The Anti-Application Framework™
(3 steps. No fluff.)
This is what you follow instead.
🧭 Step 1 — Apply Only Where You’re Obvious
If your experience needs explanation,
you won’t get the interview.
Example:
Bad: “I could grow into this role.”
Good: “I’ve already done this exact work.”
🧠 Try this:
Apply only if you can explain your fit in one sentence without using “similar” or “transferable.”
🧩 Step 2 — Rewrite Your Resume for One Job
Generic resumes get generic results.
Example:
Bad: “Worked cross-functionally with teams.”
Good: “Led X project that reduced Y by Z.”
🧠 Try this:
Delete one bullet that could belong to anyone.
Replace it with one specific outcome.
🔗 Step 3 — Be Seen Before You Apply
Portals screen.
People remember.
Example:
Bad: Apply → wait → hope
Good: Comment on a post → short DM → then apply
🧠 Try this:
One thoughtful comment.
One calm message.
No resume attached.
Recognition first.
Evaluation later.
📜 A Quote That Hit Hard This Week
“The market doesn’t reward effort.
It rewards clarity.”
Clarity doesn’t come from applying to more roles —
it comes from choosing the right ones.
Choose → Signal → Adjust → Repeat.
That’s how interviews compound.
✨ What I’d Do Next (If I Were You)
Pause applications for 48 hours.
Look at the last 10 roles you applied to.
Ask yourself honestly:
“Was I obvious —
or just present?”
Then reply and tell me:
👉 What part of your job search feels most confusing right now?
If this hit home,
forward it to one person who keeps saying:
“I’m applying everywhere and nothing’s working.”
They don’t need motivation.
They need a better system.
Keep going. You’re Never Finished.
— Ajay