How to Start Job Hunting in Pakistan the Smart Way

Okay so listen, I've been helping people find jobs in Pakistan for like 5 years now. And honestly? Most people are doing it completely wrong. They just spam applications everywhere and wonder why nobody replies. Let me tell you what actually works, not some theory from a book.

You know what's the biggest mistake? Applying to literally every job you see. I get it, when you open Rozee.pk or Mustakbil and see hundreds of jobs, you want to apply to all of them. But trust me, HR people aren't stupid. They can tell when someone just copy-pasted their CV. I've had HR managers tell me they delete those applications without even reading them.

What you should do instead? Pick maybe 10-15 companies that actually fit what you can do. Like if you did computer science, don't apply to marketing jobs. Focus on software companies in Karachi - Clifton area has tons of them. Or Lahore's Johar Town. These places post jobs on their own websites first, sometimes weeks before they show up on Rozee. So check company websites directly.

Oh and here's something weird I noticed - most jobs get posted super late at night. Like between 10 PM and 2 AM. No idea why, but that's when HR people work apparently. So if you wake up early and check around 7-8 AM, you can apply when there's way less competition. One recruiter told me they literally only look at the first 30-40 applications. After that? They don't even open the rest. So timing is everything.

Another trick - follow companies on Facebook. Sounds basic but it works. Most Pakistani companies post jobs on their Facebook page before anywhere else. I know a guy who got hired at Jazz just because he saw their post at midnight and applied immediately. By morning they already had his CV and called him. Meanwhile people applying through Rozee never even got a response.

Don't sleep on smaller job sites either. Everyone's fighting over Rozee and Mustakbil, but sites like Indeed Pakistan or Paperpk jobs? Way less competition. Pakistan Jobs Bank is another aggregator that pulls jobs from multiple sources. Smaller companies use these because it's cheaper. So you have better chances there. Career jobs Pakistan searches often lead to these smaller portals too.

One thing that really helps - make a simple Excel sheet. Write down where you applied, when, what position, and when to follow up. Sounds boring but you'll thank me later. I've seen people apply to the same company 3 times because they forgot. Looks super unprofessional.

Also stop sending the exact same CV everywhere. Even if jobs are similar, change it up a bit. If one job talks about leadership a lot, put your leadership stuff first. If another wants technical skills, move those to the top. Takes 5 minutes but makes a huge difference.

Networking is still huge here. Pakistan runs on connections, let's be honest. Go to job fairs. Join those Facebook groups for professionals. I've seen people get jobs just from posting "looking for marketing opportunities" in a group. Someone always knows someone.

Look, job hunting here takes time. For fresh grads, expect 2-3 months minimum. Sometimes longer. But if you're smart about it - applying to the right places, following up, staying organized - you'll get something. Just don't give up after a week. Most people quit too early.