Stop obsessing over your résumé: A recruiter’s guide to job hunting

Durham advises against the common practice of tailoring a résumé for every single application, labeling it a dated strategy that often flags the document as AI-generated. Instead, she suggests crafting one robust, high-quality résumé that incorporates keywords identified from target job descriptions. This approach allows candidates to demonstrate their specific qualifications—such as data analysis skills—without relying on automated tools that rarely reach human eyes.

Networking remains the most effective way to land a role, but Durham warns against transactional outreach. Rather than messaging strangers for referrals, she recommends engaging in genuine conversations by asking professionals about their careers first. This relationship-building, combined with a consistent but measured LinkedIn presence, creates better visibility than cold applications. She also emphasizes that candidates should treat interviews as human conversations rather than scripted interrogations, ensuring they highlight their individual contributions by favoring "I" over "we" when describing past projects. Ultimately, she encourages job seekers to treat their search like shift work to avoid burnout and to step away from the "doomscrolling" that often accompanies a prolonged hunt.