You scour the internet, looking for an employment opportunity that best fits your qualifications, and you think, reasonably enough: "the more resumes I send out, the better." And then you have another thought, also seemingly reasonable: "the faster I submit, the better." This two-fold conclusion — volume coupled with expediency — is flawed, and will likely leave you perplexed over your empty inbox and stunted progress.

Turn the tables

When you spend a lot of time working on a resume (and cover letter), showing it to colleagues, revising and reworking, it can seem that you have now acquired a kind of golden ticket that can be sent to as many people as possible. Surely, someone will see how excellent this is, one may assume. 

But, usually, that "someone" immediately recognizes that they're looking at an applicant who has not thought about the specific opportunity in question. People looking for a good job always say that they don't want to just be another number in an office. They want to be a valued team member. 

Well, a potential employer doesn't want to just be another number either. They want to know you've actually thought through your decision to pursue a job with them. They want to be a valued employer.

Less is more

The first step, to admonish this kind of thinking, is to stop mining job posts, immediately scrolling to the bottom, clicking "apply now," attaching your stock resume, cover letter, and portfolio, and promptly tapping "submit" — and forgetting all about the application. Good luck.

The second step is to slow down. Take the time to tailor your resume to the specific job you are applying for. If it is design-oriented, make sure your materials illustrate your design aptitude. If it is a bit more technical, make sure your technical experience is at the forefront. Each application package should be a crafted deliverable, specific to the opportunity at hand.

Third, realize that, when it comes to the application process, less is more — and more will make you sore. We want quality over quantity. Does that mean to send out fewer resumes? Not necessarily. Increasing your chances with more submissions is a good strategy, but it needs to be done thoughtfully. That's the takeaway.

Happy hunting!