To Apply or Not To Apply?

I’ve been wondering quite a bit lately about what makes a candidate apply (or not) to a position they see posted. I started this blog as a way to help candidates understand the best ways to get noticed by hiring managers once they are applying, but I want to back up a bit and talk about the decision you make to apply or not in the first place before you even write that introductory email.

I’ve guess I’ve been thinking about this because I’ve been getting an inordinate amount lately of candidates who are pretty substantially off the mark from what I posted. There is always going to be candidates who just don’t fit the bill and apply anyway, there have been so many unfitting applications lately so I thought it would be a good issue to talk about here on the blog. Hopefully it will help you in your job search.

I would suggest the following as you are looking at the job posting and deciding whether or not to apply.

1) TAKE THE TIME TO READ EVERY INCH OF THE JOB DESCRIPTION. Really read it. I said….REALLY read it. Make sure to understand HOW MANY YEARS OF EXPERIENCE are needed, what experience is REQUIRED, and what skills are a PLUS.  I think it’s important to view your job search in terms of “Return on Investment”. Basically, are you putting energy into applying for positions where you stand a strong chance of getting a response from the recruiter? Or, are you just sending massive amounts of resumes out without really seeing what you are fitting for? On average,  I spend about 5-30 seconds initially looking at someone’s portfolio and resume to see if I want to delve further into it. If someone is applying for a job I posted for “Art Director/Designer for Beauty Company with at 7+ years of  experience working on interactive/digital projects on a beauty brand” and I get candidates with only 2 years of experience, no digital experience, and no experience working on a beauty brand, that just isn’t a fit. That email you have just spent time writing if you aren’t even remotely fitting has just been wasted time on your part…and mine. Bad Return on Investment for all concerned. FOCUS ON WHERE YOU FIT.

2) ASK YOURSELF – AM I 90% qualified? If you are, then apply. I would imagine as a candidate it can be hard to know what 90% is important to the hiring manager. I would say if you are close in the years of experience needed, have most of the required skills, and have some of the PLUS skills, you should apply.

3) IF YOU ARE QUALIFIED – Apply ASAP!

4) IF YOU ARE NOT QUALIFIED FOR THE POSITION POSTED – Personally, I would rather have a candidate write me with an inquiry about future positions without referencing the position that is posted that they aren’t fitting for.  A simple introduction email with a few sentences about your background, what you are looking for, your portfolio, and your resume will do. If you are someone I think I might be able to work with in the future, I’ll write back.

Remember, when deciding TO APPLY OR NOT TO APPLY, ask yourself, am I really a good fit after having the read the job description? If so, then apply. The reality is that even when you are a fit for a job, sometimes you just aren’t going to get a response. Job descriptions change since they were posted, recruiters change within a company, budgets change, and often recruiters receive a gazillion applications and some get missed. But, you stand a better chance when you FOCUS WHERE YOU FIT.

What do you think? Have questions on this subject? I would love to hear what your experiences have been in your job search.

Rachel