How to Determine which Jobs to Apply for

Hunting for a job is a time-consuming task. It’s a lot different than when we were in grade school and could apply to every store inside of the local shopping mall. As professional adults, each application requires careful planning and execution in order to get a callback and actually land an interview.

When you are applying to a job in a highly competitive atmosphere it’s important that each piece of your application is concise and correct. HR managers will be looking for the best possible talent out of the pool of resumes they receive. Ensuring that yours stands out above the rest is a critical part of being successful in your search.

If you’re unemployed or desperately looking to switch jobs, it’s imperative that you understand that quality matters more than quantity. It may feel natural to spend a day applying to as many jobs as you possibly can, but this approach is bad for a number of reasons. For one, if you are just blindly hitting the apply button, it means you aren’t actually writing individualized cover letters, which significantly reduces your chances to land that job. You may also be applying to things that you are over- or under-qualified for. Instead of mass applying in a single day, you should spread your applications out over a longer period of time so you have the ability to personalize each application.

But how do you know which jobs to apply to and which ones to skip? According to the Kruger-Dunning effect under-qualified people typically have difficulty recognizing their own incompetence and often tend to overestimate their abilities. On the other side, intelligent and capable people often do the opposite, and underestimate their value. This makes it hard to personally identify which jobs are worth applying to. For that reason, it’s important to ask yourself these key questions to determine which jobs to apply for.

Do I have the qualifications and experience?

There’s some subjectivity to this question, but typically the length of your experience is a pretty concrete number. The most important thing here is to make sure that you have the minimum qualifications for the job. If they are looking for an experienced manager, and you have no experience managing people, you shouldn’t waste your time applying. Be realistic with your prior experience and make sure that you are capable to complete the tasks, should you be offered the position.

Would I hire me?

Put yourself in the recruiter’s shoes and ask yourself the question. If the role that needs to be filled is crucial to the organization, would you hire yourself? Keep in mind that when you answer this question, the hiring manager has no idea how well you work on a team or how fast you can pick up and learn new tasks. Would you hire yourself with just the experience and qualifications you have right now?

What are my competitive advantages?

There’s a good chance that several people in your industry have applied to the same job and have the same qualifications and similar experience. Identifying what sets you apart from your competitors is a good way to evaluate whether you are the best candidate for the job. If you have a specialization or have accomplished a large goal, you should take that into consideration when applying to a new position.

Can I write a concise cover letter giving many examples of why I would be a good fit for this job?

Are you having a hard time identifying things that you’ve done that would signal to an employer that you’re the best candidate for the job? If you find yourself having difficulty when writing a realistic and honest cover letter, chances are you probably don’t have enough experience for the position. If you are going for a role that requires experience, the biggest issue you should have on your cover letter is making it too lengthy. If you have issues with giving examples to back up personal statements, there’s a good chance you are under-qualified.

All this being said, it’s very important that you always try to reach for your future goals. If you find yourself stressing over every application and over-evaluating yourself, take a step back and realize that while it’s important to be efficient when searching for a job, not applying to any jobs is even worse. If you’re unemployed and looking for work, make sure you are dedicating enough time to send out your resume, but don’t blanket apply. By applying less effort in each application, you are reducing the chances of landing the job you’re actually qualified for.

While job hunting can be stressful, determining what jobs to apply to is an easy way to avoid lost time during your search. Be realistic, and good luck!