The biggest mistake people make when applying for jobs is applying to a lot of different jobs without customizing their resume to each position.
According to a 2015 study done by the National Federation of Independent Business, 48% of small businesses report there are few or no qualified applicants for the positions they are trying to fill. While it’s possible that this is the case, what’s more likely happening is that candidates aren’t customizing their resume when applying for jobs, so hiring managers aren’t able to easily find candidates with the skills they’re looking for.
Studies show that global IQ scores have risen by an average of 20 points since 1950, implying that there should be qualified candidates out there, so why are so many people still struggling to land a job? The answer lies within how people often apply to jobs.
The biggest mistake people make when applying for jobs: applying to too many jobs
Often people employ the “spray and pray” tactic when applying for a job. This term has become common among recruiters when describing a candidate that applies to tens or hundreds of positions in the hopes that someone will bite. On average, each corporate job opening attracts 250 resumes. This means that your resume has to be outstanding in order to stand out from the crowd. When using the spray and pray tactic, resumes usually don’t hold the specified requirements or keywords, causing them to get turned down immediately. When you don’t customize your resume to each job, it’s clear that you’re using the spray and pray tactic, and this doesn’t bode well for your reputation.
Why this tactic doesn’t work well
On top of the fact that your resume is among hundreds of others in the application pool when you apply online, there’s another internal issue which makes it hard to secure a job. Scott Uhrig at Agile.Careers explained that “Roughly 80% of jobs are never posted–probably closer to 90% for more senior jobs. The competition for posted jobs is insane…the best jobs are almost never posted.” If a job isn’t posted, you’re going to have a pretty hard time applying for it online.
What job tactics you should be using instead
First off, remember that more job applications does not equate to more job offers. Instead of applying to a lot of jobs without putting much work into each application, focus on a couple of jobs you really want to apply for, and completely customize your resume to fit the needs of the job. Not sure how to do this? I’ll show you how to cater your resume to a specific job in this article.
Additionally, it’s always smart to use any industry connections that you have. The Beatles had it right when they sang, “I get by with a little help from my friends.” GlassDoor estimates that being referred by someone at the company boosts your chance of successfully landing a job as high as nearly 7%.
Don’t have any direct contacts in your industry? Use your LinkedIn profile to leverage who you know and increase your professional network. You never know who will be able to connect you with someone who can help you develop your career. At the very least, use LinkedIn to connect with recruiters. Research also finds that staffing agency referrals increase your chance of a successful job placement by more than 5%, and in-person referrals — such as meeting a company representative at a job fair and giving them a resume — increase it by about 4%.
Why these tactics work
When a resume is truly customized to meet the needs of the job you’re applying for, hiring managers and recruiters can immediately see how you’d be a good prospect. Instead of looking at a general resume, you’ll be providing them with a specific outline of why you’d be successful at the position at hand, which will make a much bigger impact than sending over a general resume with no customizations.
Referrals generally produce a better hire, and statistics suggest that referrals lower the company turnover rate. 46% of referral hires stay over 1 year, 45% over 2 years and 47% over 3 years. Amy Segelin, president of the executive communications recruiting firm Chaloner, explains how the best (and most unexpected) hires happen: “Out-of-the-box hires rarely happen through LinkedIn applications. They happen when someone influential meets a really interesting person and says, ‘Let’s create a position for you.’” Why? Because it’s much easier to establish a connection and show your personality in person. While you can highlight what you’ll bring to the table and the skills you have, it’s almost impossible to show how well you’ll fit in with the company culture or how well you’ll get along with other employees on your resume alone.
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We live in an age where you can apply to hundreds of jobs with the click of a button, but just because it’s possible, (and easy) it doesn’t make it the best tactic to use when job hunting. The biggest mistake people make when applying for jobs is applying to a lot of different jobs without customizing their resume to each position. When you apply via online application, you’re one of hundreds of applicants, which makes it hard to give off a lasting impression. Instead, focus on creating a great application package for a few key positions you’re interested in, leveraging your network, asking for internal referrals, and using your contacts to get your resume in front of the right person. When in doubt, remember that quality of your application will always serve you better than the quantity of applications you’re submitting.