The Job Board That Changed My Life (And Why You Should Never Underestimate Simple Tools)
For the longest time, I believed success had a formula.
It had to be glamorous. It had to be strategic. It had to involve networking, perfectly crafted LinkedIn messages, connections with powerful people, and a carefully calculated step-by-step process.
What I didn’t realise was that sometimes, life doesn’t use the most complicated route to bless you.
Sometimes… it uses a simple job board.
LinkedIn didn’t give me my first full-time job.
A job board did.
And it became one of the best roles I ever had.
This is not me downplaying the value of networking or personal branding. I am a huge advocate for visibility, positioning and showing up intentionally online. But I’m telling this story to remind you that no tool is too small to change your life.
In a world where everyone is trying to “hack” success, we forget that success also comes from consistency, humility and taking small actions, over and over again.
The silent power of “Apply”
There is no aesthetic to it.
There is no applause.
There is no audience.
Just you, your screen, your CV, and a button that says Apply.
Click.
That simple action carries more power than we give it credit for. Because behind that button is hope, possibility, rejection, redirection — and sometimes, destiny.
When I applied for that role through Total Jobs, I did not know it would change my routine, my confidence, my professional journey, or even my perspective on work environments.
I didn’t know it would introduce me to a healthier work culture, growth opportunities, supportive colleagues, and a version of myself I had not yet met.
I just applied.
And sometimes, that is all life needs from you — one step in faith, even if your hands are shaking.
Not all breakthroughs come from loud places
We often look for opportunities in loud spaces.
We believe the best jobs are hidden behind exclusive doors, available only to insiders, only to the connected, only to the lucky.
But my experience taught me something different.
Some breakthroughs are hidden in quiet, ordinary places.
They are tucked between hundreds of other job listings.
They sit in your inbox waiting for a response.
They wait for you to believe you are good enough to apply.
Your next big opportunity might not come from a referral.
It might not come from a viral post.
It might not come from a big announcement.
It might come from you, in your room, deciding to try one more time.
What that job gave me (beyond money)
Of course, a job gives you money. That is the practical side of it. We all have bills to pay, families to support, dreams to fund.
But that role gave me something deeper.
It gave me routine when my life felt scattered.
It gave me confidence when I doubted myself.
It gave me a healthy environment when I had only known toxic ones.
It gave me a sense of belonging when I felt lost in a new country and a new system.
It showed me that work does not always have to feel like suffering.
It can feel like growth.
Like learning.
Like becoming.
Sometimes the blessing is not just the job, but who you become inside of it.
The problem is not the platform. It’s the approach.
Many people say:
“Job boards don’t work.”
“LinkedIn doesn’t work.”
“Indeed is useless.”
“Applications are a waste of time.”
But the truth is… platforms are just tools.
A hammer cannot build a house by itself. A pen cannot write your future by itself. A job board cannot change your life by itself.
But you, using that tool intentionally, can.
It’s not about where you apply. It’s about how you prepare.
Is your CV clear?
Does it tell your story properly?
Does it highlight results and skills?
Are you applying for roles that align with your experience — or ones that only align with your desperation?
Are you simply clicking Apply…
or are you showing up with intention?
My advice to anyone looking for work right now
If you are reading this and you are in that space — tired, frustrated, doubting, rejected, scared — please hear me:
Don’t underestimate the simple tools.
Use the job boards.
Use LinkedIn.
Use referrals.
Use direct emails.
Use every door you can find.
But while you do, work on yourself too.
Improve your CV.
Learn a new skill.
Volunteer.
Take a course.
Practice interviews.
Believe in your value even when nobody is responding.
Rejection is not a reflection of your worth.
Silence is not a sign to stop.
Delay is not denial.
Sometimes it’s just redirection.
From applying to inspiring
That one job was not the end of my journey.
It was a building block.
A stepping stone.
A chapter, not the whole book.
Today, I use my voice, my story, and my creativity to inspire others through Ardarrh Inspiring. I turn my experiences — the hard ones, the silent ones, the overlooked ones — into lessons for people who feel stuck.
Because if a job board link could change my life, imagine what your next small step could do for you.
So today, this is your sign.
Apply again.
Try again.
Fix that CV again.
Show up again.
And when it finally works out, when the email comes in, when the contract is signed, do not forget this:
Big doors sometimes open because you were brave enough to knock on a small one.
— Ardarrh Inspiring
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