Over the past year, I have observed that the advertised job market no longer works for senior managers.
Highly experienced Turkish managers send 100, 200, or even 300 applications and receive only automated rejections or no response at all. Some apply for positions that strongly match their background and still never speak to a human.
This is not only happening in Türkiye. Directors, CFOs, COOs, and other experienced professionals across Europe, the UK, the US, and the Middle East are reporting the same pattern.
For senior professionals, the traditional “find an advert, apply and wait” approach simply doesn’t work anymore.
Here is why I believe this is happening.
1. Companies prioritize candidates who already come with credibility
Companies are hiring more cautiously because of economic uncertainty, restructuring, geopolitical risks, and rapid changes related to AI. When making an expensive senior-level hire, they increasingly prefer the perceived safety of an internal candidate, trusted referral, or professional already known to the hiring manager.
2. Many job adverts are unrealistic
Some job descriptions combine several positions into one. Companies look for strategy and execution, international experience and local expertise, transformation leadership and hands-on operational delivery - all in the same person.
Very few candidates meet every requirement because the role itself may not be clearly defined. Yet hundreds of professionals still apply, making it even harder for recruiters to recognize the strongest fit.
3. AI has enabled mass applications
Candidates can now tailor a CV and apply within minutes. Recruiters consequently receive hundreds of polished, keyword-matched applications that look increasingly similar.
When almost every applicant appears qualified on paper, individual strengths become harder to recognize. Even highly suitable candidates are buried in the volume.
Here is what you may not know about senior-level recruitment
Advertised applicants have never been the only source of candidates. Senior roles have always been filled through internal promotions, employee and leadership referrals, direct approaches from recruiters, and hiring managers’ professional networks, too.
What has changed is that these channels are increasingly becoming the first-line hiring strategy.
Companies often look internally, request referrals, or approach selected candidates before opening a role to the wider market. I’ve seen it firsthand with many of my clients. The vacancy may later be advertised to meet internal policy or legal requirements - even when a preferred candidate already exists. In other cases, it is never advertised at all.
Public applicants may therefore enter the process later, competing against candidates who already have greater visibility and credibility. Or, in the worst case, wasting their time on an application that will never be considered.
This is why sending more applications rarely solves the problem. And trust me, I am not saying it to add more stress or confusion to your job search. It’s a reality we have to adapt to.
The advertised job market is no longer the main route to senior opportunities. The hidden market - built on relationships, visibility, credibility, and timing - is where more valuable conversations begin.
The solution is not another 100 AI-tailored applications. It is a job search strategy that helps the right people understand your value before your CV becomes one of hundreds.
If you are ready to move beyond applications, my Global Job Search Program provides a step-by-step strategy to improve your positioning, LinkedIn visibility, networking, direct outreach, and interview preparation. It comes with a Headhunter list to speed up networking and increase opportunities.
If you prefer personalized guidance tailored to your background and target market, you can also book a 1:1 Global Job Search Strategy Session with me.
Choose the level of support that suits you and start building a job search that reaches opportunities before - or without - the advert.
Warmly, Your Job Search Coach, who celebrates each client win with a cake.🍰
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Hi, I’m Inuta Sert. A Career Coach and former Executive Recruiter in Türkiye. I help mid-senior-level professionals secure more interviews and get the right job in Türkiye and abroad.
