The problem is you're "applying" for jobs. Those applications almost always get filtered out by terrible decision makers (AI, HR, etc). Instead of applying for

The problem is you're "applying" for jobs. Those applications almost always get filtered out by terrible decision makers (AI, HR, etc). Instead of applying for jobs, you need to network for jobs. Part of your research about the job is figuring out who in the company will be your manager and getting your resume directly to them. People are often willing to help each other make helpful introductions, so check linkedin to see who you know at that company or at least your closest contact and then contact that person and ask for help getting your resume to the right person. This is what they're talking about when they say most people get jobs through people they know. It's more work than simply applying, and that's why you can only afford the time to do it with 4-5 jobs. Even still, it's far more effective than applying for hundreds of jobs.