Career Tips
I Applied to Almost 1,500 Jobs, Got Rejected, Got Sacked and Finally Learned What Job Hunting Really Is.
My CV was six pages long. Six. Full. Pages. Not because I had decades of experience, but because I thought listing everything would increase my chances.
Ero Winner
December 15, 2025
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There was a time in my life when job hunting felt like punishment. Every morning, I opened LinkedIn
with hope. Every night, I closed it with disappointment. At some point, I stopped counting applications,
until I did. Almost 1,500 job applications!!
Mostly on LinkedIn. Mostly ignored. Sometimes rejected. Often… nothing. And the funny thing? I
wasn’t lazy. I wasn’t unserious. I was just lost.
My CV was six pages long. Six. Full. Pages. Not because I had decades of experience, but because I
thought listing everything would increase my chances. I had 109 skills on my LinkedIn. Some I had
mastered. Some I had tried once. Some I had watched on YouTube and felt confident enough to add. I
believed:
“So I kept adding.
What I didn’t know was this: A recruiter doesn’t see versatility, they see confusion. I applied to
everything. Admin roles, Customer support, Operations, Social media, Tech-adjacent roles I couldn’t
confidently explain. If the job existed, my CV was there. And LinkedIn DMs? Oh, I was active. Cold
DMs. Copied messages. AI-generated introductions that didn’t even sound like me.
Sent in bulk. Sent with hope, not direction. I wasn’t job searching, I was scattering. After months of
silence, something finally worked. I got a job. But here’s the part people don’t talk about.
I wasn’t the right fit.
I had managed to scale through interviews by: Stretching my experience, Overpromising, Relying on
survival instinct. Reality doesn’t negotiate. One month later, I was sacked. And just like that, I was back
on LinkedIn. Back to applying. Back to hoping. Back to starting over. That moment broke something in
me. That experience taught me something no motivational post ever could:
And like every serious job, it requires:
● Dedication: showing up daily with intention
● Diligence : doing the right things, not just many things
● Determination : staying consistent even when rejection feels personal
Spraying applications without strategy is like working without a plan.
That’s how I found my professional direction as a Virtual Business Manager.
And suddenly:
● My CV shrank from six pages to two
● My skills list became intentional
● My applications made sense
● My interviews felt honest
When I rewrote my CV properly, something clicked. I stopped describing duties. I started showing results.
I Highlighted achievements, Used job-specific keywords, Structured my experience clearly But I also
learned this: Recruiters will check your LinkedIn.
LinkedIn Is Where Trust Is Confirmed
My LinkedIn used to be just… there. No clear headline. No story. No direction. Once I optimized it:
● My profile told the same story as my CV
● My activity reflected my interests
● My skills aligned with my roles
That consistency built trust.
Personal Branding Is Simply Repetition With Purpose
Personal branding is not noise. Its clarity repeated. When people see you talk about the same value
consistently:
● They understand you
● They remember you
● They trust you
That’s how opportunities start finding you.
I didn’t learn this from theory. I learned it from rejection, embarrassment, and exhaustion. That’s why I
now work with JOB BUS STOP, helping job seekers fix:
● Unfocused CVs
● Weak LinkedIn profiles
● Confusing personal brands
Because I’ve lived the consequences of not fixing them.
Remote & Global Opportunities Demand Clarity
International recruiters don’t have time for confusion. They want:
● Clear positioning
● Strong digital presence
● Consistent branding
Clarity makes you competitive anywhere.
The Framework That Saved Me
A job-ready personal brand is not magic. It is:
CV + LinkedIn + Clarity + Strategy + Visibility
Miss one, and the system weakens.
Final Words for Anyone Job Hunting Right Now
If you’re tired… If you’re confused… If you keep starting over…
Pause.
Don’t apply harder. Apply smarter. Treat job hunting like the job it is, with dedication, diligence, and
determination.
Clarity will do the rest.
with hope. Every night, I closed it with disappointment. At some point, I stopped counting applications,
until I did. Almost 1,500 job applications!!
Mostly on LinkedIn. Mostly ignored. Sometimes rejected. Often… nothing. And the funny thing? I
wasn’t lazy. I wasn’t unserious. I was just lost.
My CV was six pages long. Six. Full. Pages. Not because I had decades of experience, but because I
thought listing everything would increase my chances. I had 109 skills on my LinkedIn. Some I had
mastered. Some I had tried once. Some I had watched on YouTube and felt confident enough to add. I
believed:
“So I kept adding.
What I didn’t know was this: A recruiter doesn’t see versatility, they see confusion. I applied to
everything. Admin roles, Customer support, Operations, Social media, Tech-adjacent roles I couldn’t
confidently explain. If the job existed, my CV was there. And LinkedIn DMs? Oh, I was active. Cold
DMs. Copied messages. AI-generated introductions that didn’t even sound like me.
Sent in bulk. Sent with hope, not direction. I wasn’t job searching, I was scattering. After months of
silence, something finally worked. I got a job. But here’s the part people don’t talk about.
I wasn’t the right fit.
I had managed to scale through interviews by: Stretching my experience, Overpromising, Relying on
survival instinct. Reality doesn’t negotiate. One month later, I was sacked. And just like that, I was back
on LinkedIn. Back to applying. Back to hoping. Back to starting over. That moment broke something in
me. That experience taught me something no motivational post ever could:
And like every serious job, it requires:
● Dedication: showing up daily with intention
● Diligence : doing the right things, not just many things
● Determination : staying consistent even when rejection feels personal
Spraying applications without strategy is like working without a plan.
You’ll be busy, but broke.
Where Everything Started to Change: Clarity
I stopped asking: “What job can I apply for today?” And started asking: “What problem do I actually
solve well?”
That single question changed everything. For the first time, I focused inward. What I discovered was
clear:
● I was strong in coordination
● I understood systems
● I helped people and businesses stay organised
I stopped asking: “What job can I apply for today?” And started asking: “What problem do I actually
solve well?”
That single question changed everything. For the first time, I focused inward. What I discovered was
clear:
● I was strong in coordination
● I understood systems
● I helped people and businesses stay organised
That’s how I found my professional direction as a Virtual Business Manager.
And suddenly:
● My CV shrank from six pages to two
● My skills list became intentional
● My applications made sense
● My interviews felt honest
When I rewrote my CV properly, something clicked. I stopped describing duties. I started showing results.
I Highlighted achievements, Used job-specific keywords, Structured my experience clearly But I also
learned this: Recruiters will check your LinkedIn.
LinkedIn Is Where Trust Is Confirmed
My LinkedIn used to be just… there. No clear headline. No story. No direction. Once I optimized it:
● My profile told the same story as my CV
● My activity reflected my interests
● My skills aligned with my roles
That consistency built trust.
Personal Branding Is Simply Repetition With Purpose
Personal branding is not noise. Its clarity repeated. When people see you talk about the same value
consistently:
● They understand you
● They remember you
● They trust you
That’s how opportunities start finding you.
I didn’t learn this from theory. I learned it from rejection, embarrassment, and exhaustion. That’s why I
now work with JOB BUS STOP, helping job seekers fix:
● Unfocused CVs
● Weak LinkedIn profiles
● Confusing personal brands
Because I’ve lived the consequences of not fixing them.
Remote & Global Opportunities Demand Clarity
International recruiters don’t have time for confusion. They want:
● Clear positioning
● Strong digital presence
● Consistent branding
Clarity makes you competitive anywhere.
The Framework That Saved Me
A job-ready personal brand is not magic. It is:
CV + LinkedIn + Clarity + Strategy + Visibility
Miss one, and the system weakens.
Final Words for Anyone Job Hunting Right Now
If you’re tired… If you’re confused… If you keep starting over…
Pause.
Don’t apply harder. Apply smarter. Treat job hunting like the job it is, with dedication, diligence, and
determination.
Clarity will do the rest.
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