Never “Apply All” – Job Search Mistakes

As a candidate, there are several ways to be overlooked by recruiters and hiring managers.  Call them Job Search mistakes. You may be doing it and not even know it.  One common mistake is the use of “Apply All.”  Any over-application for jobs is bad. Failing to align skills and experience with the job is just as bad as email spam. Recruiters consider this Job Search mistake as spam.

This mistake can happen for a lot of  reasons. Maybe a candidate wants to work for the company badly enough to take any job they offer.  Another reason might be lack of time to apply to separate jobs.  Or no time to uniquely align the approach with the job.  Or perhaps the candidate is just lazy.

Whatever the reason, unguided and excessive job applications is treated universally the same way.  Recruiters and internal hiring teams or HR departments all consider this a bad approach.

Use an Apply All approach will get you put on the do not hire list. An egregious Job Search mistake.

If you are a candidate reading this, don’t get upset. Don’t rationalize why you have done this or argue that it is optimal for some personal reason.  Just don’t do it anymore.  In 2017, that is now how to land a job.

Apply all is not taking into consideration your audience – the hiring manager or recruiter.  Apply all is universally frowned upon.  Recruiters have to sift through your resume multiple times.  You don’t want your common resume to show up in the queue of multiple searches at the same company. That demonstrates a lack of consideration for the recruiting process and people involved. It shows that the candidate lacks the ability to set goals and develop a career direction.

Apply all indicates the candidate has not put the time and effort into their job search. They have not articulated what they can do to drive success for the company.  The candidate shows they have not thought in employer-centric terms.

Starting out by spamming your prospective employer is not a good foundation for a future employee to employer relationship!

Simply put, don’t over-apply for jobs at your recruiter, on job online boards or corporate careers websites.  This is a sure way to be overlooked. Use this approach and you may never be considered for the job, regardless of qualifications.

Don’t make this classic Job Search mistake.  Instead, identify what you want to do to target the specific jobs.  Focus your approach by framing your resume in employer-centric terms. Articulate what you will do to make the employer successful.

Barton Professional Placement Group works with all kinds of candidates and hiring companies, And. this is a true story.