We Received 770 Applications: Tips For Job Seekers
Yep. That’s right. Within 12 hours, the job posting I published received 770 applications via LinkedIn. Having been on the other side of the hiring table till now, I want to share some insights I gained during this process, that may be of help to job seekers.
To preface this, LinkedIn is great in finding relevant candidates, but the platform doesn’t allow you to search applicants by name, university (if I wanted to see any fellow Pace alumni), or anything else. This is great for ensuring it’s not a biased application process. So, next time you apply, imagine the hiring manager looking like Jim Carey in Bruce Almighty opening the drawer that never ends, and send them a note with your resume attached.
#1: 22% Of Applicants Messed Up The Application
From 770 applications, we dropped down to some 600 due to resumes being attached as anything but a PDF — which in LinkedIn doesn’t show up, and would require me to download the file and then read it, versus LinkedIn previewing it. So, make sure your resume is a PDF, you have a photo in your LinkedIn profile, the resume and LinkedIn companies/dates/titles match, have an email on your resume, and use the same name on LinkedIn + Resume + file name so we can find you!
#2: 13% Over-Titled Themselves
If you’re applying to a coordinator role, yet you’ve named yourself “Director of…” or “CEO of…“, it truly looks like you’re over qualified for the role you are applying for, given the hiring manager only has 45 seconds or so to review your resume. I understand that college group/club titles may have fancy names, but it’s confusing, and it may be time to revise that title.
#3: 3.5% Brought Personality To The Table
If you’re in a creative field like marketing and advertising, don’t be scared to bring 100% of yourself to work. The most memorable resumes were those that mentioned what they do outside of work — some mentioned loving 90s rap, some loved cooking, some were soccer players, some were teaching themselves a new language! I never used to put this on a resume myself, but talked about it in interviews. From now on, I’ll add it, as it’s much more memorable to remember “Anette the horseback rider and space geek” versus “Anette with the marketing resume”.
#4: 7.5% Sent A Note
If you’re really interested in the role or company, find a way to send a note to stand out. So many people hit “easy apply”, but to stand out from the crowd, send a note via the email address visible in someone’s LinkedIn profile, DM the hiring manager, or if it’s a small company (you see the owner is the hiring manager) send a note via the site’s contact form!
#5: 1.5% Messaged To Point Out Connections
While I didn’t personally know them, one candidate shared a previous employer with me, and there were a few Pace alumni who applied. I would likely have never known, as I couldn’t search any fellow alumni of schools nor employers. They all ended up in the final rounds, as someone with a connection is relatable.
#6: 1% Used References
In a pool of strangers, it’s very helpful to get an introduction or reference. Some got referred via my personal connections, while one person sent a note with their resume and recommendation letter. This gets noticed, placing them in the final rounds.
#7: 4% Lacked Attention to Detail
It’s great that you’re sending a note, or when we email you, you respond. However, minor things are glaringly visible when you’re trying to cut applicants to get down to a smaller group of applicants. Misspelling my name or company will get you cut — it also happens to be a pet peeve of mine, but the names are right there.
Going into the 20 top applicants:
#8: 40% Left A Decision Maker Out Of The Loop
Forgetting to copy the person who was already on copy in my response is also an automatic out. Why? We can’t have you forgetting to copy the client(s), especially when I mention the second person who’s been copied in the email.
#9: 20% Missed The Sample Deadline
Deadlines are important, and how you perform on a test is key. While some simply didn’t respond to our email wishing to receive their work samples or 3 fake social posts, those who did ended up in the final rounds.
#10: 50% Got Cookie Points
The whole experience of interacting with potential hires is important — it shows who you are even before you log onto zoom for the interview. Sending a note confirming receipt of the test task, sending a thank you note after your interview and having visibly done research on the company + the hiring managers in the calendar invite for the interview, it all shows!
The competition right now is fierce.
We went from 770 applications to 30 top resumes, to 20 test task takers, to 14 tests returned, to 8 interviewees, to 2 new hires. So, finding ways to be memorable for a few jobs you apply to per day may prove results. It’s tough out there, but I hope some of these tips help you avoid some mistakes and help you find some extra ways to stand out!
