Applying to a job generically creates work.
What a hiring managers wants in a new hire is someone who makes them feel like you reduce work for them. You solve problems and make life easier.
Not just when you’re on the job and fully trained. It begins in the hiring process, though in subtle, subconscious ways.
An email, application, or resume that presents a list of your skills creates work. It screams, “Here’s some data on me. You figure out what to make of it, what it might mean about my abilities, and how those might apply to the company and what the result might be.” That’s a ton of work. And pretty much every applicant does this. It’s impossible to go through them all and deeply unpack and imagine if/how each person might be valuable to the company.
Contrast that to the something guy or gal.
Hunter was the Trampoline Guy. One person that applied to work with me at a previous company was the Photoshop guy. He sent tailored pitches where he photoshopped himself into team pictures in a funny, playful way. Someone who applied for the Praxis program once sang a song and had a bird fly through the frame during her video.
Here’s the thing. Not all of them got every job or program they applied to. But every one of them was instantly remembered and shared around the office. We felt like we knew them, and when discussing candidates, in a sea of “Who was that person?” sameness, That Guy/Gal stands out to everyone. They made the process easy, because they did something different, genuine to them, and interesting. Whether they got the offer or not, one thing they all got fast was a response. They couldn’t be ignored. That’s what you want.
Be the something guy/gal. Otherwise you’re the nothing guy/gal.
If you apply to a job with nothing but one-click on some platform, one generic resume, or a standard cover letter/intro like, “Over 12 years enterprise and consumer facing experience building high growth strategies and optimizing key metrics across a variety of industries” You’re bullshitting yourself. That’s not an app. You don’t want the job and they can tell.
You’re basically saying, “Hey, I exist and I’m interested in someone paying me money. Here’s my name and static status, send me a paycheck if you feel like it. I can’t be bothered to figure out what I would do of value specific to you. That’s your job.”
Huge turnoff.
Get your shit together.
Pick only a few companies to start with. Companies you really love. Learn about them – the people, the products, the customers, the culture – then make something unforgettable for them. Do some part of the job before you get the job. Let them see in detail exactly how you’d make their life easier. Don’t just tell them, show them.
When you do, you jump to the front of the line. You get a response and usually an interview. They don’t have to do all the thinking and processing and work of mentally placing you in the organization, because you’ve shown them a preview and given them a taste of exactly what that would be like.
Do this 10 times and you will outperform 100 applications many times over.