As anybody currently searching for work can attest, the process of submitting resumes to published job opportunities can be incredibly frustrating, confusing, and time-consuming. Not only are there fewer openings being listed today given the uncertainty in the economy, but for those roles that DO get posted, the competition is fierce and employers often report getting hundreds and hundreds of resumes sent in within a mere 24 hours after announcing a new hiring need.
On top of this, a recent Forbes magazine article estimates that 36% of all posted jobs aren't even real — and that employers and recruiters often run false employment ads to show pretend growth, cover their rears for internal or H1B hires, or collect resumes for a rainy day down the road. Personally, I have a hard time believing the percentage is anywhere near that high, but it's not nothing, either. Without question, many job openings on the web today aren't 100% legitimate or have already expired, even though they're still floating around out there.
This being said, and despite my constant plea for people to invest more time in networking than chasing after leads on the Internet, one can't completely rule out the chances of landing a job through an ad response, either. Not every job posting out there is bogus and millions of people still get hired this way, even if they have to wade through a lot of ghosting, second-guessing, and shenanigans to achieve success. So while again, you'll want to definitely keep your guard up and manage your expectations (and stress level) when it comes to employment ads, here are three tips that could potentially tip the scales a little bit more in your favor.
1) Speed Matters — Apply As Soon as Possible
As mentioned above, and largely due to the rise of globalization and emergence of AI-enabled resume spamming services, companies today usually report receiving hundreds of resumes almost overnight whenever they post a job opening. As a result, based on many sources I've consulted, quite a few employers (apparently for lack of a better solution) often end up "closing off" the application process after the first 100–200 submissions or so — only focusing on the initial resumes received and moving on to later submissions if they can't find a suitable candidate in the first batch.
Given this development, I've started to encourage active job hunters to respond to relevant openings almost immediately, rather than waiting a day or two. I also suggest they set up a job search routine that starts the day off with a review of any "alerts" they've set up on sites like Indeed.com and LinkedIn, enabling them to apply ASAP if they come across any role that seems like a good match. Again, there's no way to know for sure whether a given employer is using this screening strategy, but it seems like a smart move to try and "beat the rush" so to speak.
2) Apply Through the Company's Own Website, Not the Job Board
Secondly, while it may seem like a small thing, multiple recruiters have told me that a candidate is likely to get more consideration for an opportunity if they apply directly through the employer's website instead of going through the built-in application process of the third-party job board where they initially spotted the lead.
Simply put, since the vast majority of your competitors will typically go the easy route, submitting their credentials through "easy apply" on LinkedIn or the like, your documents will benefit from a more favorable signal-to-noise ratio by being among the few submitted directly via the employer's site. Another potential benefit of this strategy? If you DON'T see the lead in question actually posted on the company's own site, that might be a sign that it's not truly a legitimate opening — and is a "zombie" ad floating around out there that's no longer viable!
3) Use AI to Help Customize Your Resume
Lastly, in terms of how to improve the odds of success with a resume submission, it's generally agreed that one's resume will have a much better chance of generating a response if it is closely tailored to the specific job at hand. A one-size-fits-all resume is far less likely to generate a response or get through an ATS filter, in other words, than one that's been customized to the advertised position and reflects the specific keywords contained in the advertisement.
For years, job seekers have done this by simply reviewing a job posting by eye, trying to pick out the most important skills mentioned, and then finding a way to work these terms into their resume draft. These days, however, AI can make the process much, much easier. So for those who haven't yet dipped their toe in the AI waters, or stumbled across this trick, I'd encourage you to visit any of the free AI websites — such as ChatGPT.com, Copilot.com, or Gemini.google.com — and try typing in the prompt below in relation to whatever the next job is that you'll be targeting.
"Review the attached resume and analyze it for keyword compatibility with the following job description"
Once you've entered the above prompt, the AI tool will ask you to copy/paste the information from your resume, as well as the text from the job ad, and then will spit out a comprehensive analysis of which skills/strengths you've got well-covered and which ones you're missing. It only takes these tools seconds to do this and the resulting report should make it far easier for you to quickly doctor your resume up with a few of the pertinent buzzwords, increasing your chances of success.
In closing, again, the published job world is awash with inefficiency right now and almost every job-seeking professional is having a tough time gaining much traction through ad submissions alone. So make sure to adjust your strategy (and expectations) accordingly. If you're not already applying the three techniques mentioned above, however, they certainly can be worth a shot and give you a bit of an edge over other potential applicants. And if you're a Washington State job seeker, be sure to also check out J.A.W.S. (Jobs Across Washington State) — our proprietary tool that tracks openings at over 10,000 WA employers that never surface on the major boards.