TL;DR
Most job seekers limit themselves to job titles they already know. Better approach: list your skills, use AI matching tools (like MORT) to find roles that fit, search by skills not just titles, and look at career paths of people with similar backgrounds. You're probably qualified for more jobs than you think - and some of the best fits might be roles you've never heard of.
The Problem with Job Title Search
Most people search for jobs by title: "Marketing Manager," "Software Engineer," "Project Manager." This approach has a big problem: you only find jobs you already know to look for.
You might be a perfect fit for a "Growth Strategist" role but never search for it because you've always been called a "Marketing Manager." Or you could excel as a "Technical Program Manager" but you've only ever been a "Software Engineer" and don't think to look.
The Hidden Job Market
Many jobs that match your skills use titles you wouldn't search for:
- A "Customer Success Manager" might be perfect for someone with sales + account management skills
- A "Revenue Operations Analyst" could fit someone with finance + CRM experience
- A "Product Owner" role might match someone with business analysis + stakeholder management skills
Step 1: Know Your Skills (Really Know Them)
Before searching for jobs, get clear on what you actually bring to the table.
List Your Hard Skills
Technical abilities, tools, and specific knowledge:
Hard Skills Examples:
- Programming languages (Python, JavaScript, SQL)
- Software tools (Salesforce, Figma, Excel, Tableau)
- Technical processes (data analysis, A/B testing, financial modeling)
- Industry knowledge (healthcare regulations, SaaS metrics, supply chain)
- Certifications (PMP, AWS, CPA)
List Your Soft Skills
Transferable abilities that apply across roles:
Soft Skills Examples:
- Leadership and team management
- Client/stakeholder communication
- Problem-solving and analytical thinking
- Project coordination and organization
- Presentation and public speaking
- Cross-functional collaboration
Identify Your Differentiators
What combinations make you unique?
Differentiator Examples:
- Technical skills + business communication = can bridge engineering and business teams
- Creative background + data skills = can do both brand and performance marketing
- Industry expertise + generalist skills = valuable in that specific industry
Skill Discovery Exercise
Review your last 3 jobs and list every task you did. Group them into skill categories. You'll likely discover skills you take for granted but employers value highly.
Step 2: Search by Skills, Not Just Titles
On LinkedIn
Use the Skills filter
Go to Jobs → All Filters → Skills. Add your top 3-5 skills.
Search for skill keywords
Search "SQL" instead of "Data Analyst" to find all roles needing that skill.
Check "People Also Viewed"
When viewing a job, see related roles you might not have considered.
Look at alumni paths
See what jobs people from your company/school moved into.
On Indeed and Other Job Boards
- Put skills in the search box, not just titles
- Use quotation marks for exact phrases: "project management"
- Try different title variations (Marketing Manager vs. Marketing Lead vs. Head of Marketing)
- Filter by experience level to avoid overqualified/underqualified results
Boolean Search Tricks
Search Examples:
Find roles with your skills:
"project management" AND "stakeholder" AND "agile"
---
Exclude irrelevant results:
"marketing manager" NOT "senior" NOT "director"
---
Find multiple title variations:
("product manager" OR "product owner" OR "PM") AND "B2B"
Step 3: Use AI Job Matching
AI job matching tools go beyond keyword search. They analyze your full background and find jobs that fit - including ones you wouldn't have searched for.
MORTOur Pick
Full disclosure: this is our tool. We built it because keyword search misses too many good matches.
LinkedIn Jobs
Otta
Step 4: Research Career Paths
One of the best ways to find jobs that match your skills is to see where people like you have gone.
LinkedIn Profile Research
Find people with your current title
Search for people who held your current or recent job title.
Look at their 'next' job
What roles did they move into? Note unfamiliar titles.
Check company alumni
Where do people from your company end up? What industries and roles?
Study career changers
Find people who came from your background but are now in different fields. How did they position themselves?
Reach Out
If you find someone whose career path interests you, send a brief message asking about their transition. Most people are happy to share their story.
Job Description Reverse Engineering
When you find a job that looks interesting but you're not sure you're qualified:
- List all the requirements
- Mark which ones you have (you probably have more than you think)
- If you have 60-70% of the requirements, you're likely qualified to apply
- Note which skills appear in multiple similar postings - those are the must-haves
Step 5: Expand Your Title Vocabulary
Same skills, different titles. Here are common equivalents:
For Marketing Backgrounds
Marketing Title Variations:
- Marketing Manager → Growth Manager, Demand Generation Manager, Brand Manager
- Content Marketer → Content Strategist, Editorial Manager, Communications Specialist
- Digital Marketer → Performance Marketing Manager, Acquisition Manager, Growth Marketer
For Technical Backgrounds
Technical Title Variations:
- Software Engineer → Developer, Programmer, Software Developer, Application Engineer
- Data Analyst → Business Intelligence Analyst, Analytics Specialist, Insights Analyst
- QA Engineer → Test Engineer, Quality Analyst, SDET
For Operations/Business Backgrounds
Operations Title Variations:
- Project Manager → Program Manager, Delivery Manager, Implementation Manager
- Business Analyst → Product Analyst, Strategy Analyst, Operations Analyst
- Account Manager → Customer Success Manager, Client Partner, Relationship Manager
What If You Don't Know What You Want?
If you're not sure what jobs to look for, start with skills and interests rather than titles:
Skills-First Approach
- What are you good at? (Not what you've done, but what you do well)
- What do people come to you for help with?
- What tasks energize you vs. drain you?
Use AI for Exploration
ChatGPT Prompt for Career Exploration:
"I have experience in [your background]. My strongest skills are [list skills]. I enjoy work that involves [types of tasks]. What job titles should I be searching for that I might not know about?"
MORT can also suggest roles based on your uploaded resume - you might discover options you hadn't considered.
The 60% Rule
Many job seekers only apply to jobs where they meet 100% of requirements. This is a mistake - especially for women and underrepresented groups who tend to be more conservative.
The Reality of Job Requirements
Most job descriptions are wish lists, not hard requirements. Research shows:
- Men typically apply when they meet 60% of requirements
- Women often wait until they meet 100%
- Many "required" skills can be learned on the job
- Hiring managers prioritize potential and culture fit alongside skills
If you meet 60-70% of the requirements and can make a case for the rest, apply. Let the employer decide if you're qualified - don't filter yourself out.
Next Steps
Audit your skills
List your hard skills, soft skills, and unique combinations.
Try AI matching
Use MORT's AI job matching or similar tools to discover jobs you wouldn't have found through title search.
Research career paths
Find people with similar backgrounds and see where they've gone.
Expand your search terms
Search by skills and try alternative job titles.
Apply at 60%
Don't wait to be 100% qualified. Apply if you're in the ballpark.
Find Jobs That Actually Match
MORT uses AI to match you with jobs based on your real skills and experience - not just keyword searches. Discover opportunities you didn't know existed, then track every application in one place.