Why applying online isn't working for you

Why does applying for a job online not work?

I’ll tell you why and how to fix it.

We live in a world now where the job market is as competitive as it’s ever been.

Ever.

Now, before that scares you away from your search or from the dream of pursuing your perfect career path, let me first let you know that there are statistics and resources out there that will help you become a voice and a face instead of just a blur in the crowd.

You’ve already taken a step to put yourself in a better situation than most of your competition by signing up for this newsletter. The fact that you’ve taken action in your job search to recognize that you need help and to seek it out is cause for pat on the back. You’re actually doing something about it, so give yourself some credit for being proactive.

Now, back to the black hole. Why are your applications going nowhere? Why do you fire off applications and then feel like a fool clicking “Refresh” on your email inbox, wondering if something went wrong in the application process.

Surely if they’ve seen my application, I should be getting an interview request… right? I KNOW I’m qualified.

Instead, you’re sitting at your desk looking like Matthew McConaughey before he went through the black hole in Interstellar.

Not to worry. Here’s how to actually get the responses you want:

YOU’VE GOT TO LAND REFERRALS

According to research compiled on Zippia in February of this year, referrals are 4x more likely to be offered a job than website applicants.

According to a recent Jobvite study, referrals make up about 40% of all hires.

As far as getting an interview from a referral, it was difficult for me to find reliable data in 2023, but from what I’ve discovered, it’s pretty safe to assume that if you have a referral, your odds of landing an interview range between 30-50% as opposed to less than 10% without a referral.

The bottom line: If you want to land more interviews and actually get hired, you need to land a referral.

Ok, but how?

Step 1: Find the appropriate person to connect with

Stop reaching out to recruiters or people in the HR department. These people receive hundreds of emails per day, so standing out is incredibly tough. Additionally, they’re not fully plugged into the role you want and probably don’t have a say in the hiring process.

Instead, do this:

» Go on LinkedIn

» Turn on the “People” filter

» Search for the company name and the job title that you want (i.e. “Product Manager Google”)

» If necessary, filter by location

» Pick a list of 5-10 people you’d like to reach out to that are close to the role you want

Step 2: Research the people on your list

We’re going to make our messages about THEM, not about YOU.

If you worked for a company and a random person who you know nothing about emailed you out of the blue asking you to refer them, would you do it?

If your answer is no, then why would someone else do it for you?

We’ve got to learn more about the people we are trying to connect with. Skim their LinkedIn profile or do some Google searches of their name. Here are some things you’re looking to learn about them:

• How long they’ve been with the company that you want to work for

• Their career journey (have they changed career paths at any point or grown internally through several promotions?)

• Hobbies/interests (do they post anything on their social media or LinkedIn that could be an interesting talking point?)

• Any similarities between them and yourself (alumni of the same school, employed by any previous companies that you’ve also worked for, etc.)

Why is this information important? Because people love talking about themselves.

Step 3: Craft your message

First of all, stop spamming people with crappy messages on LinkedIn.

While you may think you’re doing the right thing (“bUT I’m nEtWoRKinG, bRiAn!”), think about the factors working against you on this approach:

• The people you’re writing to are probably receiving 50+ messages from other people trying to do the same exact thing as you.

• Not everyone checks their LinkedIn inbox everyday (or ever, in some cases).

• Their inbox is already packed full of a lot of spammy messages in their inbox from people promoting a product or service. You might get washed away with those messages.

Instead, find the person’s email address by using email lookup tools such as these:

RocketReach - 5 free lookups per month or more with a paid subscription.

Hunter.io - 75 free credits per month (25 search credits and 50 verification credits) or more with a paid subscription.

With some of these tools, you can simply enter the LinkedIn profile URL for the person you want, and it will provide that person’s email address.

Once you have the emails for the people on your list, it’s time to write the perfect message to grab their attention. Here is a template you can follow as an example:

Notice how we didn’t ask them to review a resume or refer us for a position. That can come up later in conversation, but first, you’ve got to hook their attention and make it more about them.

As Dale Carnegie said in the quote above, you’ve got to be interested first before they see you as interesting.

Step 4: Send your messages

Now that you’ve built out your messages, select 2-3 people per day from your list and send them an email.

As you get replies, remember that the objective is to build a genuine relationship with each person.

If the person receiving your email perceives it as a transactional relationship where you’re only trying to use them to get what you want (i.e. an interview or connection to someone else), they’re less likely to help you or even respond.

Only once you’ve built a solid connection with that person can you mention a role that you’re interested in and ask for advice in getting noticed.

If your connection likes you and is impressed by your professionalism and genuine interest, they’ll probably offer to refer you or at least offer advice that is actually helpful in helping you land an interview with their company.

That’s it!

In future emails, I’ll talk more about ways to maximize your value during networking conversations and show you how to really leverage each connection, so be on the lookout for my newsletter every Monday.

If you enjoyed this topic, give me a follow on LinkedIn and Twitter to make sure you don’t miss all of the helpful advice I crank out on my social.

Now go escape that black hole!