My old way of job hunting was just throwing resumes into a black hole

I used to apply to like 50 jobs a week on Indeed with the same generic resume. Would maybe get one callback every 2 months if I was lucky. Last year I changed it up completely after a career counselor told me to target specific companies instead. Now I spend my time researching 5 companies a week, customizing my resume for each one, and reaching out to people on LinkedIn first. Got 3 interviews in the first month of doing it this way. Has anyone else had better luck with a more focused approach like this?

3 comments

3 Comments

spencer_park261mo ago

Honestly the "throwing resumes into a black hole" part hit me hard because that's exactly what I was doing too. Ngl my strategy was basically the same, sending out 50 generic apps a week and hoping for the best, which is like fishing with no bait and being surprised nothing bites. Tbh your new approach sounds way smarter, I might have to steal that whole "research 5 companies a week" idea before my resume ends up in another digital void.

uma_williams1mo ago

50 generic apps a week? That's insane lmao, I honestly thought I was the only one doing that. I was hitting 60 at my peak and getting back maybe two rejection emails a month. The whole "digital void" thing is perfect because I swear my resume got deleted into a black hole somewhere between the apply button and their server.

knight.dylan1mo ago

How many times have I watched a friend do the same thing, send out a hundred apps with a copy paste cover letter and wonder why they never hear back? It's like you're playing a numbers game where the house always wins. That researching five companies a week thing is solid, because instead of hoping they notice you, you actually figure out what they need and tell them you can do it. Might take a little longer, but at least you're not just screaming into the void.