Experts weigh in on how to make yourself stand out in a slow labor market.GettyIf you’re unemployed today, finding a new opportunity can feel like a numbers game with really bad odds. Not only are employers hiring at a slow pace, but employees are holding onto their positions longer, creating fewer opportunities and more competition for the roles that are available. As a result, the percentage of people who have been unemployed for 27 weeks or more has increased to 25% from 23% this time last year, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This means that in today’s slow-hiring labor market, simply submitting more applications may not be enough for job seekers. I spoke to three experts about the strategic steps professionals should take during their job searching process to increase their odds of getting an employer’s attention in a crowded market. NetworkNetworking has always been important, but in a saturated market where hiring managers often have more applicants than they do open roles, LinkedIn’s Head of Economics, Americas, Kory Kantenga says that using “your network to connect with people who are in the roles and in the industries that you have an interest in” is crucial.“That way, you're not just sending cold resumes out and you're actually making a warm connection and potentially getting a referral, which is very important in a market like this,” Kantenga says. Doreen Coles, senior director of career growth and development at ADP, adds that job seekers should also list out the ideal companies, industries, and roles they’re interested in and find ways to strategically build connections in those fields before even applying. These connections can be made through LinkedIn, in-person events and conferences, or through a mutual contact. She explains that trying to make connections only after you’ve applied to a role can feel self-serving. By contrast, reaching out beforehand can feel like you’re authentically trying to learn. Avoid Using AI To Completely Write Your ApplicationWhile job seekers are inundated with conflicting advice about how artificial intelligence may or may not help their job search, one thing that many hiring and workplace experts agree on is that AI should not be used to completely write your resume, cover letter, or any writing samples during the hiring process. “AI can be used to tighten up your resume and it can be used to enhance your cover letter, but it still needs to be your own voice and it still needs to be your own experiences on that resume,” says Margaret Burke, principal, talent acquisition and development leader at PwC.As someone with over 20 years of HR experience, Burke warns job seekers against overly relying on AI in the actual interviewing process as well. “In the interview you have to talk about your own true experiences,” she says. “AI can make things sound a bit sterile and generic, and interviewers can see right through that.”Emphasize Human Skills AI Can’t ReplaceAs AI continues to impact jobs across different industries, Priya Rathod, workplace expert at Indeed, says what she’s seeing in the job market right now is that “human skills are traveling in a way that purely technical skills sometimes don't.”“We’re hearing again and again that things like communication and critical thinking and leadership and empathy are the skills that are valuable right now across a lot of industries,” she says. In fact, according to Indeed’s research, Rathod says that skills similar to those above appear in nearly three-quarters of all U.S. job postings. Therefore, she says, it’s important for professionals to highlight these skills on their resumes and in job interviews to show they can effectively do a job despite technology’s impact. Lisa Su, CEO of Advanced Micro Devices, agrees. As the leader of one of today’s biggest tech companies, Su told recent graduates at MIT that “for everything that AI can do, AI can’t decide which problems are worth solving. It can't make the hard judgments when the data is not there. It can't take responsibility for the outcomes.”These tasks, Su says, are the responsibilities of humans, and “they matter now more than ever.”Want to be more successful? Subscribe to the weekly Forbes Careers newsletter to get insider tips and insights.More from ForbesForbesAI Is Changing Work. These Are The Human Skills Employers Want MostBy Courtney Connley-HamptonForbesThe Dos And Don’ts For Using AI In Your Job Search, According To 3 ExpertsBy Courtney Connley-HamptonForbes7 New Rules For Success In The First Year Of Your CareerBy Courtney Connley-Hampton