Too Many Applications, Not Enough Results?

Use the Job Search Funnel to narrow your focus and strengthen your story.

Let’s focus your job search strategy using the Job Search Funnel.

Applying to any company that’s hiring is less productive than you’d think. It requires more resume tailoring and more time spent proving your candidacy before you even reach an interview.

You already have the skills, now we just need to figure out where you’ll apply them.

At the top of the funnel is Market—the space where demand lives. Who do you want to serve?

There are two ways to think about it: market type and market category.

Market type: Who do you want to spend your time building or working for—businesses, consumers, or government?

If the kind of people or organizations you impact matters to you, this helps narrow your focus.

Market category: Where do you want to serve them—education, finance, healthcare, technology, etc.?

This defines the space or problem area you want to work in before narrowing down to an industry or sector.

Next is Industry—the types of businesses or organizations meeting the needs of your market.

If your market is finance, that could mean industries like banking, fintech, insurance, investing, or compliance.

Then comes Sector—this is where you’re niching down to the kind of work you want to do.

If you choose the fintech industry, you might move into sectors like blockchain, payments, insurtech (insurance), or regtech (regulation).

Once you’ve defined your market, industry, and sector, you can focus on targeting the companies that fit.

Let’s take a look at how to use the Job Search Funnel in practice:

If you’re a site reliability engineer who wants to apply your skills in the technology market, with a market type of B2B—serving businesses within the internet infrastructure industry and cybersecurity sector—you might want to apply to a company like Akamai.

Using the Job Search Funnel strategy helps cut down the stress and anxiety that comes from applying everywhere just because roles are open. It also saves time on resume tailoring and cover letters because once you’re focused on a specific market, industry, and sector, your story naturally stays consistent and relevant to every company you approach.

Give this approach a try! Check out these hiring companies and see if they align with what you’re looking for: Akamai | Givebutter | Kentik | Highspring | Modulate | Triverus Consulting