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Welcome to Module Five — The Application. And we need to have a serious
conversation about how most people apply for jobs. They find fifty postings that
look vaguely relevant, copy-paste the same resume and cover letter, click
submit, and pray. Then they wonder why they never hear back. Here's why: because
everyone else is doing the same thing. Your generic application is competing
against hundreds of other generic applications — and the hiring manager can
tell.
Today, we kill the spray-and-pray approach and replace it with something that
actually works.
Let me give you the math. If you send two hundred generic applications and your
response rate is two percent — which is generous for untailored applications —
you get four phone calls. Four. From two hundred applications. That's hours and
hours of work for four shots.
Now compare this. Twenty highly targeted applications where you've done the
research, tailored your resume, written specific cover letters, and possibly
even have a connection at the company. At a thirty percent response rate — which
is very achievable with tailored applications — you get six phone calls. More
results from one-tenth the effort.
But here's what the numbers don't capture. The quality of those responses is
dramatically different. When a hiring manager responds to a tailored
application, they're already interested in you specifically. When they respond
to a generic one — if they respond at all — they're just filling their phone
screen quota.
Before you apply to anything, you need to decode the posting. Not every job
posting deserves your time, and not every requirement listed is actually
required.
I use a three-tier system. Tier one is the must-haves. These are the
non-negotiable qualifications. They appear in the first few bullets, they're
repeated throughout the posting, and they're explicitly stated as required. If
you have eighty percent or more of these, you're a viable candidate.
Tier two is the should-haves. These are listed as preferred, bonus, or
nice-to-have. Having two or three of these makes you competitive, but lacking
them won't disqualify you.
Tier three is the wish list. Every job posting has aspirational requirements — a
laundry list of technologies, certifications, and experience that no single
human possesses. These are the hiring manager's fantasy. Ignore them when
deciding whether to apply.
Here's the hidden intelligence most people miss. Read between the lines. Is this
a new role or a backfill? If it's a backfill, why did the person leave? How long
has the posting been up? If it's been reposted, they're struggling to fill it —
which increases your leverage. What does the language and tone tell you about
the culture?
Structure your week. Monday, research target companies and emerging roles.
Tuesday, decode five to seven new postings using the three-tier system.
Wednesday, tailor your resume for the top three to five. Thursday, write
targeted cover letters. Friday, submit and do a networking touch for each
application.
Seven and a half hours per week, applied strategically, will dramatically
outperform forty hours of mass applying. Quality is a discipline. Every time you
resist the urge to send one more generic application, you're investing in a
strategy that actually works.
Stop spraying and praying. Start targeting and tailoring. Twenty well-crafted
applications will outperform two hundred generic ones every single time. Next
lesson, we tackle the cover letter — how to write one that actually gets read
and makes the hiring manager want to meet you.