SearchRemotely.com answers the question, “I’ve applied to over 200 jobs on Indeed in the last month [and have gotten] no response from any of them.
First, as a recruiter, I need to tell you that we are inundated with resumes. This could not be more true than for the remote job industry. That doesn’t mean that recruiters are lackadaisical about which job applicant we present to our clients for potential screening and ultimately as a new hire. For even though there is an increase in volume and quantity of resumes and applications for any one remote job posted, the emphasis is on quality. We are looking for that one applicant whose remote experience and demonstrated performance is perfectly aligned with the needs of the remote employer.
This is not really a good excuse, but often the volume just totally exceeds the time available to respond back. You may not want to hear this, but lack of employer feedback too may be equated with a commensurate amount of time the applicant took to submit their application (1-5 second click of a button).
That said, it is really, really important for applicants to be the needle in the haystack. Make it easy for the automated bots and algorithms to pick your application out of a pool of hundreds or thousands. How do you do it?
The job title you have must match with the job title for which you are seeking
The job title you currently hold or have held recently must match with the job title for which you are seeking. Strange, right? I know. But employers who need to hire but are weary of the added costs associated with training a new hire, integrating them into the business processes of their operation, assisting them with learning on a new or similar platform… It goes on and on.
Who needs it? Think for a second the value of time. In this day and age
- microwavable gourmet meals can be made in one minute or less;
- you can lose 100 pounds with the carving of a surgical knife or laser technology;
- you can hope to master coding by the flick of a button.
Who wants to spend needless time? Time is money right? Companies (as SCOTUS would say) can take on individual characteristics attributed to humans too. So, the fastest, cheapest, and least risky way to hire someone who can do the job is someone who is ALREADY doing the job. Get it?
When it is a remote job you seek stress remote experience
When the job applicant is seeking and applying for a remote job, it is imperative to stress, repeat, and reiterate the remote experience held. There are many qualified candidates for completing job tasks and responsibilities in an in-person, on campus, traditional office setting. But can the job applicant perform the work required virtually? Showing that you have done and continue to perform with high levels of productivity is paramount to your success in getting another remote job opportunity.
There are several challenges related to remote work, such as managing remote teams, mistakes to avoid when managing remote teams, dealing with distractions and interruptions when working from home, communication issues, working at home in isolation, conducting remote performance reviews, being misunderstood as a remote worker, using remote monitoring tools and the potential for negative perceptions of employers who hire remote workers.
Not everyone excels in the challenging tele-work environment. When applying for a remote positions, it is sacrosanct to show that you can maintain your productivity and have proven performance working in a virtual environment.
Emphasize the key words stressed in the job description
Job applicants, you gotta match and mirror the job description. To do this you need to emphasize the key words stressed in the job description. Once again, you must pass through the screening of the algorithmic and automated bots.
Job applicants need to take the time to revise their application, cover letter and resume to fit EXACTLY to the job description. Why? So that you (1) pass the automated screening and (2) appear to be the perfect candidate based upon a quick 10 second human read of the information you submitted.
Recruiters receive hundreds of resumes for each position. So as we visually scan the resumes as they come in, we know that 9 times out of 10 the candidates who applied can do the job if hired. But the question is not if they can do the job. The question is, “Are they the best person for the job?” Do you get the picture now? No one really cares if you can do the job. If you are walking, living, breathing and chewing gum at the same time; we know you can probably do the job with 95% certainty. But once again, we are looking for the perfect, or near perfect candidate.
- If you are sending the same resume to 200 employers, no you are probably not the perfect one.
- If you are not focusing on critical keywords in the job description, no you are probably not the perfect one.
- If you haven’t shown the current capacity to do the job now, or in the very recent past, no you are probably not the perfect one.
For your job search throw away the IoT, Metaverse, VR
When you are searching for a job, you gotta throw away the IoT (internet of things), Metaverse and Virtual/Artificial Reality concepts for this task. Sorry to be so harsh. Yes, they are perhaps the wave of the future. But, you need a job NOW. What does this mean? It means that the tried and true concept of making connections in the physical space and using the networking supports of your past professional contacts still may be the most effective way to get a job.
So you still gotta network, network and do even more networking. The good news about online professional and social media is that you can expand and NURTURE your physical contacts exponentially. How great is that? Linkedin.com is perhaps the best avenue for you to do this.
Want to read more about how to use Linkedin for your job search, click here.
The multi-purpose functions of job listings
Bet you didn’t know this. But there are multi-purpose functions of job listings. We use free job posting services to scour the internet for research purposes.
Other recruiters and employers may use ‘free’ job listing services to (1) disorient their competitors, (2) support the argument for increased need for migrant workers, (3) send a message to NYSE that the company is growing/expanding, and (4) support government messaging that the economy is vibrant. Remember the “Goldilocks” economy of the 80s and 90s?
These four reasons have little to do with the potential to hire you as a job candidate. So please, please, please do not take it personally. Do not get depressed. Continue to bring your A game everyday!
Our final suggestion would be for you to (1) look for jobs on a boutique job listing service like our firm where employers pay for featured listings. These employers have been vetted and are serious about hiring. Expand your (2) remote job search to in-person networking. Sounds counterintuitive. But it works. Use (3) online professional networks, informational interviews, and groups to expand your connections to obtain information about jobs currently available. And finally, (4) consider using a job seeker service like those offered here at to help you find your way and ultimately get a good job.
You might consider reading these free resources.
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Good luck!
