Anyone who's applied to a job recently can tell you there are endless ways to do so: There are general job boards like LinkedIn and Indeed, sites tailored to industries like Levels.fyi for tech workers, and a platform for every interest and demographic, like Handshake for recent grads, Ladders for six-figure jobs, or FlexJobs for remote roles.
Then, of course, there's applying directly to a company's career page.
The sheer number of platforms and the tech used to streamline the application process almost make it "too easy" to mass apply to jobs today, says Donald Knight, chief people officer Greenhouse, the hiring platform.
While making hiring more accessible and efficient is a good thing, Knight says, it can also lead to job-search burnout.
"In the past, where you might have had 40 steps to complete an application, today, most people can do that in less than seven steps," which can take as little as 45 seconds total, Knight tells CNBC Make It.
And scores of job-seekers have gone public recently about applying to hundreds of jobs without ever hearing back.
He offers five steps to focus your job search and stand out from the competition:
1. Lean on referrals
The ease of applying to jobs has led to an explosion in applications per role, many of which are often of "diminished" quality, Knight says.
The average Greenhouse job received 228 applications in February 2024 — a 45% increase from February 2023, according to Greenhouse data. Recruiters as are as busy as ever, on average reviewing nearly 400 applications per month as of January 2024, up from an average 184 per month the year prior.
To that end, Knight says a referral is a great way to make an applicant stand out to recruiters "who are inundated with applications."
See if you can get a referral from someone who works at the company, like a former colleague or someone you've networked with in the past. They may get a referral bonus, too.
2. Make a personal connection
If you don't already have a referral from within the company, it's a nice touch to connect with the recruiter or hiring manager alongside your application, Knight says.
Consider sending them an email or personal LinkedIn message about yourself and that you've just applied for the role.
Nolan Church, a former Google and DoorDash recruiter, vouches for the practice. He previously told CNBC Make It that while he was at DoorDash, CEO Tony Xu would get such emails and "he would forward them directly to me every time," he says, adding that "probably 90% of the time, we took calls with those people."
3. Be selective
Even if you can apply to a job within seconds doesn't mean it's worth the time.
"My biggest advice for candidates is to be selective about the jobs that you apply to and don't throw your name in the hat for a job you don't actually want," Knight says. You could be wasting your time, the recruiter's time, and the time of the person who actually wants the role.
Instead, focus on what you most want out of a new employer, whether it's about a better role and manager, flexible work, better benefits and so on, and prioritize your applications accordingly.
4. Tailor your resume
Knight says the tried and true advice of tailoring your resume to each application is still worthwhile. AI tools like ChatGPT can help by matching and prioritizing details of the job opening that match your experience.
Make sure to proofread and ensure your materials are genuine.
"Recruiters notice when a candidate has put thought into their application and resume and prioritize those that look most relevant," Knight says.
5. Don't try to game the system
Finally, Knight says one big thing to avoid is relying on AI to try and "game" the application system.
For example, a majority of job seekers, 57%, say they would put keywords in white font on their resume to increase their chances of being seen by hiring tech, according to a Greenhouse survey. The idea is that by including parts of the job description on your resume, it'll be flagged by an AI screener as a good match and move you through the hiring process.
"Don't waste your time doing this," Knight says.
The hack, known as "white fonting," is "bad advice," Farah Sharghi, a tech recruiter previously told Make It. Applicant tracking systems don't filter resumes based on keywords, she says, and once a human intervenes and reads the text, they'll quickly see that the job description has been lifted to pad your resume.
Knight agrees. Rather than using the method, he says, "highlight the skills that you have under your belt and, importantly, use the same language as the job description."
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