But we do have an excellent list of recommendations for you to snatch it from thin air.

1. Step away from the cookie cutter

You should be adjusting the information on your resume for every job that you apply to. Highlight particular skills and projects that you have under your belt which align with the position you’re applying for.

2. Find your people

Many job applicants only look at online job boards because it’s convenient. But if you’re looking to boost your chances of success, you may be better off taking a hands-on approach. Network and build relationships with like-minded people, virtually and IRL.

3. Avoid the Crowd

In general, we suggest avoiding the big job sites. It’s certainly possible to find jobs there, but you’ll be pitting yourself against a mountain of other applicants.

Smaller industry job boards may be a better option. But it’s worth remembering that you’re up against a lot of competition there too.

4. The Horse’s Mouth

A hiring company’s website can be a good place to search for available positions. Whenever possible, try to reach out to the HR director, hiring manager, or DS lead before applying — this way, you make a slightly more personal connection.

5. Show and Tell

This shouldn’t be a shock, but building a portfolio lets hiring managers vet you with more detail and become familiar with your work, communication style and abilities before any interviews. This makes their job easier and may save you from being culled for one arbitrary reason or another. Don’t forget to link your portfolio to your (safe for work) social media including LinkedIn.

Write about your DS projects online. Most of the initial screening and shortlisting in data science are done by a non-technical HR team. They generally don’t deal with details of data science. Simple things like writing a blog about your project or adding a description to your project's home folder in Git helps in gaining the eyes of the recruiters.