Why it’s Important to Tailor your Job Application
It’s a really tough time if you’re looking for a job at the moment, and for many folks, this is the longest they have been unemployed. There are many reasons to complain about those current circumstances, but I’d like to talk about why complaining about tailoring your job applications is not one of them. I see lots of chatter on LinkedIn to the effect of “No, I’m not going to tailor my application for you, it’s your job to figure out why I’m a good candidate.” It comes from valid frustration, but I promise that applying at a high volume without carefully considering each role is not actually going to get you to your goal faster.
I’m currently hiring 2-3 handy people, and as the applications came rolling in, I noticed a concerning trend. To see if it attracted more candidates, I initially used the phrase “home repair technician” as part of the job description. As I started going through candidates, I noticed that 25% of them had clearly not even read the job description - all of their experience was in tech - computer networks and Quality Assurance. They didn’t have any experience with power tools, fixing electrical issues, or painting.
I quickly recognized that my phrasing may be the root cause of the issue and swapped it back out for handy person, but, it reminded me that there are still a lot of people who are applying for roles that aren’t even a fit at a large volume. This wastes the time of the recruiter, hiring manager or business who is trying to hire the best candidate - not a good way to get your foot in the door!
If you’re feeling stuck and you can’t even remember all of the roles you’ve applied for recently, please keep this in mind:
Taking the time to tailor your resume, cover letter and application to each role is ultimately going to actually take you less time overall than mass applying to roles that may not be a fit for you. Keeping track of the roles, following up, networking with friends who work at that company is also going to feel more productive, like you’re moving in the right direction. If you’re mass applying and not getting any responses, that’s bound to make you feel crazy, depressed and desperate. If you mass apply, you may also make mistakes, like apply for the same role multiple times.
A good way to tailor your resume and have it take less time is to keep a “master resume” that includes ALL of your experience, and ALL of the applicable verbs, skills, etc, that may apply to any roles you would like in the future. For each role, simply strip it down to those that apply to the job responsibilities and save as a new file. This does mean you need to read the job description and understand what you’re applying for!
Use the cover letter to explain any gaps between your resume and the job description. For example, if any of those network repair folks had sent a cover letter saying that their whole career so far has been in tech but now they can’t wait to use their hobby carpentry skills to help people with their homes, I may have considered giving them a call and learning more about their skills (even though their resume didn’t reflect that). Unfortunately, they were just applying for the wrong role!
Take any opportunity you have to save time or streamline things for the recruiter, hiring manage or company. Make your resume, cover letter and application appealing and concise. Show them how you’re going to solve a problem they may currently have. If you know someone at the company, have them submit your application or put in a good word - this helps the recruiter or hiring manager know you’re a known entity and be more likely to give you a chance. Follow up respectfully and professionally with anyone you interact with, thank them for the time they took out of their day to consider you for the role.
If the use of AI or algorithms to find candidates turns you off or you want a better chance of hearing back or talking to someone directly, look for roles in smaller organizations. Smaller companies need great employees and often offer the best learning and advancement opportunities for those who want to make the most of their next role. For what they lack in resume prestige with their name recognition, they typically will make up for with your title (e.g. You may be a “CMO” at a small company doing the same thing as a “Program Manager” at a larger one).
Don’t give up hope. The people who are going to be successful in finding their next role are those who aren’t afraid to pivot, apply their skills in a new way, consider different opportunities than they used to. Carve time out of your schedule for human connection - meet up with friends, former co-workers, potential mentors, or new contacts you met on LinkedIn. Keep your eyes open and ears to the ground. Volunteer, take on short term projects or temp work until you find something more exciting. You have something important to bring to your community and spoiler alert: it’s not commiserating with everyone who is unemployed on LinkedIn. I can’t wait to see what it is- wishing you all the best!