I recently shared this story with the women in the InspiHER Tech 30-Day Get More Interviews Challenge. It reminded me just how powerful this one shift was in my sales career—and now I want to pass it along to you.

Because make no mistake: if you’re on a job search, you’re on a sales journey.

Your resume, LinkedIn profile, and cover letter? Those are your marketing materials. And you—don’t take this the wrong way—are the product. Your job is to position yourself as the best solution to an employer’s problem. And that starts with making sure people know you’re available in the market.

The #1 Counter‑Intuitive Strategy That Changed Everything

When I started my career in Information Technology recruiting, my cold calling numbers were terrible. Every morning, our team shared success stories: how many new candidates we connected with, how many interviews we scheduled, how many new clients we signed, and how many job offers we secured.

I was great at talking to candidates and scheduling interviews.

I was terrible at getting new companies to use our recruiting services.

When my boss asked why I thought I was struggling, I told him:

“I hate hearing ‘No.’ If I don’t make the call, they can’t reject me.”

That’s when he dropped one of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever received.

Stop Chasing Yes—Start Chasing No

He told me: “You’re focused on the wrong goal. Instead of hoping for a Yes set a goal to get as many Nos as possible.”

That changed everything.

Suddenly, it became a game—and I love games!

• How many calls could I make in pursuit of a No?

• How quickly could I rack up rejections?

And something surprising happened: once I embraced rejection, I started to anticipate objections, adjust my approach, and eventually turn Nos into Yesses. But that is a blog for another day!

If you’re hesitating to apply for jobs because you’re afraid of rejection, you’re setting the wrong goal. Instead of focusing on getting more interviews, try this:

Set a goal to collect as many Nos as possible.

Each rejection isn’t a failure—it’s a step closer to that sweet job offer.