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If You Want a Great Job, Stop Applying to Jobs!

Written by: Roger Lear
Published on: Feb 27, 2015
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I am in the final stages of hiring a marketing coordinator for our company.  I posted the job, received over eighty applications and was very impressed by the quality of the resumes.  My process was pretty simple; I scanned the resumes and pulled about twenty of them that really seemed to be a good fit for the job we had open. (Read my article 4 Resume Tips You Need to Get Through the 10 Second Scan by Employers.)

Job seekers, this is where it went very wrong for many of the applicants!

I started calling each resume to do a very quick informal interview to just verify some credentials and gauge interest in why they would want to work for our companies.  Here are some of the comments:

  1. What are you looking for?  I applied to so many jobs I am not sure what you are calling about.
  2. What’s the name of your company again?  Are you sure I applied?
  3. Please forgive me, but I don’t know a thing about your company?
  4. I just need a job.
  5. What is CSS and responsive design? (requirements of the job clearly stated on job posting)

On top of that, we are hiring for a marketing position. If you can’t market yourself, how in the world Stop Applying for Jobswould you market for one of our companies? 

The big problem is that job seekers apply to so many jobs (because it is easy) and never just focus on the jobs that are a skill and culture fit.

When an employer actually calls you and you are not prepared, you basically eliminate yourself from consideration for the job.  It feels good to apply to 10 jobs a day.  For many, it seems like you are accomplishing something.  However this is the exact reason you are NOT getting the job you really want.

Your job search should be about jobs you really want and are qualified for (at least 75%) at companies that really peak your interest.  That is where the job search really takes place.  Over 50% of the twenty finalists (who may have been qualified) where eliminated because they had no idea they even applied to GreatInsuranceJobs.com.  In a marketing position you take a product and make sure it is represented as a leader to its defined audience.  As a job seeker, you have to “know your market” and be able to show why you are a leader on the first try! 

You have to make changes if you want to get a great job.  Here are some suggestions:

  1. Apply to jobs that really fit your skill set.  Spend more time in your research looking for these jobs and companies then applying.  If you read the job description and feel you can “really” do that job, then apply.
  2. Once you apply, research the company and the job.   Keep a job journal handy that shows the date you applied, the strengths of the job (and main requirements) and why you were drawn to the position and company.
  3. To guarantee you get an interview, make sure you are prepared to be able to communicate your value to your future employer.  How did your past job increase revenue? How did you save the company money? 

When that employer calls you to schedule a potential interview, your preparation will separate you from the crowd.