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Is It Possible to Apply to Too Many Jobs?

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It’s tempting to think of getting a job as a numbers game: send out as many resumes as you can, the theory goes, and you’ll definitely get hired. While you definitely won’t get hired for jobs you don’t pursue, sending out thousands of resumes and cover letters can actually be overkill.

stressed businessman 

(Photo Credit: David Castillo Dominici/freedigitalphotos.net)

Why? Because when you send out a zillion CVs, you’re likely failing to focus on what you actually want in a job (besides a paycheck). This can lead to several problems:

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1. Typos.

If you’re sending lots of resumes and cover letters during the same relatively short period of time, odds are that you’re working off of a template. And while this is a great way to save time and effort, if you don’t build in space for proofreading, you’re likely to make mistakes. Think about how many job listings you’ve seen that include the phrase “attention to detail.”

2. Sending out multiple resumes to the same company — for different positions.

“While applying to as many jobs as possible sounds like a good approach to landing a job faster, applying to jobs in multiple departments at the same company can make the candidate come across as unfocused and lacking direction,” writes Nicola Huns at Raleigh Career Coach Examiner.

The same thing goes for sending your resume to everyone you know. If you spam your whole address book, people will feel less connected to your message and be unlikely to help you.

3. Ignoring more successful means of getting a job.

“At least 60 percent — some report even higher statistics — of all jobs are found by networking,” writes Alison Doyle at About.com’s Job Searching site.

Nowadays, this includes everything from striking up a conversation with a friend of a friend whose career you admire to building a profile on LinkedIn.

The road to employment, in other words, might be not be lined with resumes and cover letters.

Tell Us What You Think

How many resumes do you send out when you’re looking for jobs? We want to hear from you! Leave a comment or join the discussion on Twitter.

Jen Hubley Luckwaldt
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