How to Get Hired in 2026 According to Someone Who Actually Does the Hiring
If you’re trying to figure out how to get hired right now, Ali Abdaal has some honest and slightly spicy advice from the other side of the table. As someone who reviews hundreds of job applications himself, he knows exactly why most of them get ignored.
Watch the full breakdown in the video below:
Source: Ali Abdaal
How to Get Hired Starts With Understanding What Hiring Actually Looks Like
Most applicants picture a hiring manager carefully reading every application in the queue. That’s not what’s happening. When a role gets 500 applications, the reality is that most of them get filtered out fast, often before a human even reads them properly.
Ali’s point is that you need to understand the process you’re actually in, not the one you imagine. The game isn’t about being qualified. It’s about being visible and easy to say yes to.
The Three Doors Framework Changes How You Apply
Ali borrows the Three Doors concept from Alex Banayan’s book The Third Door, and it fits job hunting perfectly.
- Door one is the front door, applying through the official job posting like everyone else.
- Door two is cutting the line somehow, a referral, a connection, a warm intro.
- Door three is finding a way in that most people wouldn’t even think to try, going directly to the hiring manager, doing a project before you’re asked, making yourself impossible to ignore.
Most people only ever try door one and then wonder why nothing happens. The candidates who get hired are almost always coming through door two or three.
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Disclaimer: This content is for informational and entertainment purposes only. The views expressed are personal opinions and do not constitute professional, medical, or financial advice.
