Karishma Mandal wanted to land an AI role at a big-name company, so she designed a job search strategy she hoped would help her stand out. Throughout her search, she'd grown confident in the merits of two tactics: being among the first to apply for roles and submitting applications directly through company websites, not job boards. "You have to be early, you have to go through the direct website, and you have to get a referral if you can," said the 29-year-old. Mandal's strategies seemed to pay