No matter the industry, when you’re looking for a job, applying to as many jobs as possible can feel like the best strategy. But more applications don’t necessarily lead to better opportunities. Applying to jobs that aren’t a good fit can waste your time and make you feel burned out, which makes you less likely to give your best effort to the job applications that fit your lifestyle and schedule.
When you’re searching, take time to really understand the job details and how your skills and experience fit the role. Think of it as the three-minute job vibe check. Before you hit the “Apply” button, evaluate these five things.
1. Make sure you’re separating “required” from “preferred.” This is an important step because you should know the qualifications clearly before you apply. Job descriptions often include a mix of required qualifications, preferred qualifications and a long list of skills the employer would like to have. You should look at words such as “required,” “must have” or “minimum qualifications.” Do not automatically eliminate yourself because you do not check every box, but you should check a majority of them,
The goal is not to find a job posting where you match 100% of the words in the job description. It’s to determine whether you have a credible case for why you can succeed in the role.
2. Read beyond the job title. It’s not intentional, but job titles can be misleading. Sometimes the responsibilities can tell you more about the job than the title does.
Two companies can use the same title for very different positions and, at the same time, different titles can describe surprisingly similar jobs. You need to read the responsibilities carefully and ask yourself: Would I actually want to do this job?
Look for the description of the activities that explain what you’ll do in the role. If the position is advertised as a strategic role but most of the responsibilities involve administrative tasks, that matters. If you are looking for a hands-on position and the posting emphasizes management, that matters too.
3. Compare the job to your actual experience
Once you’ve read the job description, you need to ask yourself why you’d be a good candidate for the job. Identify two or three specific connections between your background and the position. Maybe you have managed a similar project. Maybe you have worked with the same type of customer. Maybe you have solved a problem that the employer is trying to address. Knowing this before you apply is vital because if you do apply and are interviewed, these are the types of questions you’ll get asked.
If you can’t identify a clear connection between your experience and the job, stop and reconsider whether the application is worth your time.
4. Tailor your resume (but don’t copy the job description)
If you’ve decided to apply, look at your resume before submitting it. Your resume should accurately reflect your experience, but it should also make the most relevant experience easy to find. Hiring experts recommend tailoring your resume with relevant language from the job description and focusing on accomplishments rather than simply listing responsibilities.
Look for the three to five qualifications that matter most in the posting. Then make sure your resume clearly demonstrates those qualifications where they genuinely apply. Do not copy the job description into your resume: hiring managers can tell. Instead, use the role’s terminology when it accurately describes your own skills and experience.
5. Decide: Apply, tailor or move on
After five minutes, you should be able to put the job into one of three categories: apply (you meet the core qualifications, the responsibilities fit your goals and the opportunity checks your most important boxes), tailor (you are a strong potential match, but your resume needs some adjustment to clearly connect your experience to the position), or move on (the job does not meet your requirements, you lack a critical qualification or the opportunity raises too many concerns).
Don’t think of moving on as a failure. It is part of an effective job search. Every application takes time, so the goal is not to submit the most applications possible. The goal is to spend your time on opportunities where there is a realistic possibility of a good match.
How StaffDNA helps you find the right job
At StaffDNA, we know that having a lot of information helps make informed decisions when searching for jobs. In healthcare, evaluating a job can be more complicated than simply comparing titles and salaries. Specialty, credentials, location, schedule, employment type and compensation can all affect whether an opportunity is actually a good fit.
That is where StaffDNA can help. StaffDNA was built to make healthcare hiring more transparent and easier to navigate. Our digital marketplace connects healthcare professionals with opportunities across nursing, allied health, therapy, physician and advanced practice roles. Candidates can explore staff positions, travel and local contracts, locum tenens opportunities and per diem shifts in one place.
The platform also gives candidates access to pay and job details, helping you evaluate opportunities based on more than a job title. That transparency can make it easier to compare positions and decide which ones are worth pursuing. We even created a benefits calculator to see what your take-home pay will be after benefits.
Your next job search does not need to be about applying to a massive number of jobs. Just take a few minutes to make sure the opportunity fits what you are looking for. It’s all about finding a job you love and knowing why it’s the right one for you.
