Want to know what’s killing a lot of job seekers? Laziness.
Here’s a simple example: a job seeker sees a job he thinks he’s a fit for out there in cyberspace. He follows a link from a job board to a company website, reads up about the company and job and decides to take the time to submit.
So he writes a nice cover letter and then creates an account on the company’s system, builds a profile, attaches or pastes in his well-crafted cover letter, and hits the button.
Then he thinks, “Hey…I wonder if they have some other jobs?” So he goes to the general career page and looks for other jobs in his field.
Lo and behold, there are other jobs that he could do, some of which are as good a fit as the initial job he applied for. So the job seeker clicks the buttons on those jobs…and uses the same cover letter to apply for the job.
Now, imagine the recruiter or HR person on the other side of that job system.
She logs in to the system over her first cup of coffee, looks at the incoming resumes for Job A and sees a resume and cover letter from our intrepid job seeker. The cover letter says, “OMG…I can’t believe ‘Job A’ exists – it’s perfect for me, exactly what I was hoping for. I’m so qualified you’d be a complete moron to hire anyone else for this job.”
Then our intrepid recruiter moves on and sees the same candidate has also applied for Jobs B and C…topped with the same cover letter. Which says, “OMG…I can’t believe ‘Job A’ exists – it’s perfect for me…” Yadda, yadda yadda.
What do you think that says to the recruiter?
Take your pick…I’m too lazy to rewrite this cover letter; I don’t know what I really want to do; my motive is a paycheck; please take pity on me and interview me.
And even if you’re a middle-aged cynic like me who’s been unemployed in a tough job market and understands that you probably CAN do 3 or 4 different jobs, guess what? If the recruiter eventually sends a link to your letter and resume in their system to the manager of Job B, that person will click on it and see your cover letter that says, “I’m all about Job A.”
And he’ll pass. Simple as that. The manager will believe what you said and in his mind a little voice will say, “This guy really wants to do A.”
If you think most managers are enlightened, flexible and talent-driven when it comes to translating resumes and making decisions about who to interview, you’re just not being realistic. They are out there, but they are the exception, not the rule.
Many of them may be top-20% in their areas of expertise or as managers in general, but VERY, VERY do hiring often enough to get really good at interpreting the value, credibility and accuracy of a piece of paper (which, cynically, isn’t often very good.) Companies don’t teach this and most are as worn out with the low-value, high-volume part of job hunting as you are from their side of the desk. And (on their behalf) most resumes don’t tell even a tiny fraction of the story…it’s just a bad medium.
Don’t scowl and waggle your finger at them either – it’s human nature to not be good at stuff you don’t do often (even if it IS really important) and probably true for you too! I know it is for me in areas of life I don’t touch on or need very often.
That, my job-seeking friend, is why I tell you that it’s really up to you to stop being lazy.
Some basic steps – if you see a job and follow the link to the company site:
- Review ALL the jobs in your domain on their site, not just the first one. You honestly can’t expect them to take you seriously if you submit for 3 or 4 jobs…just doing it makes you look desperate.
Take your shot at the BEST job for you. Then, if you get in and ace the interview but are wrong for that particular job, you’ll have inside supporters who can and might introduce you to other managers for other jobs.
- Customize your resume and cover letter. If you haven’t gotten that from the millions of expert blogs on job hunting by now, you’re not just lazy, you’re asleep at the wheel of your own career. Focus on their needs and how your background matches. Stay away from generalized hot air blowing about how great you are. If it’s on point, use it. If it’s not, it really IS NOT helping you.
- Go find other ways in besides the HR channel. I know one of the motives behind multiple submissions is that you think more than one recruiter may be managing the jobs, and you may convince one but not the other. That’s usually only true in the biggest of companies…usually one or two people are sifting the mountain of resumes. And they can see if you’ve submitted more than one regardless. So instead of being lazy and submitting online 3 or 4 times, go find OTHER PEOPLE outside HR to approach about the best job.
Or at least wait for a few days between submittals. If you get an electronic rejection or no word, politely email the HR person and say, “I realize I might not be at the top of your list for Job A…could we have a short conversation about Job B? I’ve done some great things in that area too.”
I know the systems are complex, difficult and mind-numbingly boring. But don’t let that lull you into a sleepy state that causes you to shoot yourself in the foot.
It’s your foot.
And honestly you are the one shooting the resume bullets.
Be careful.
