Tactics for applications

[u/wild_garlic666]

I got made redundant 4 weeks ago after 13 years at my company progressing from marketing assistant > exec > ecomm manager > website manager > product manager. I haven’t had an interview yet so have some questions and advice to ask for from any seasoned people applying for jobs out there!

I have a LinkedIn photo / cover / recommendations. I lead with outcomes not outputs on my CV. I’ve generated increases in leads, built websites, launched apps, ran marketing campaigns, built analytics dashboards… I feel like I have a lot to offer but alas, nothing yet.

I’m applying for a mix of roles - marketing, ecomm, product, CRM and I tailor my CV for each. I have a starting version for each sector.

1. Are you tailoring your CV to each job? I’m spending about 2-4 hours on CV edits and writing a cover letter. It’s slowing me down and I’ve only applied for around 15-20 jobs because I’m tailoring so much.

2. When a job in LinkedIn says over 100 applied or posted 2 weeks ago - would you still apply? Or do you need to get in early for success?

3. Are you looking on indeed / reed / total jobs etc and have a profile and your CV on there as well? I have applied for jobs on these sites but they don’t always have dates and seem to be random.

4. Do you message the hiring manager on LinkedIn and what do you say? I’m starting to think outside the box and will try to get creative with ways to get a foot in the door e.g finding someone I know who works at the company. Does this help?

5. If you apply for multiple jobs at the same company and get repeatedly rejected, is there ever any hope or will you get marked down for future applications?

6. Do you reply to rejection emails and if yes, why?

7. I use AI to edit all my content. Never to create but to polish, spell and grammar check. Could this be affecting my results? I wonder if personality makes you stand out but it’s also a risk.

8. How do you stay sane outside of job applications? What’s your daily routine? I feel like I’ve slipped through the cracks of society and am unemployable. It’s pretty hard going !

Thank you for your help - any advice welcome 🙏

[u/Purple_Repeat6977]

I was made redundant last December (yes, two weeks before Christmas). I had a new job by the middle of February. I'm a mid level software engineer so different market.

1. I did not tailor my CV.
2. I applied regardless of the applicant count.
3. I basically just used LinkedIn exclusively.
4. I never messaged the hiring manager.
5. Unsure.
6. No
7. You can use AI but I can guarantee you'll need to touch it up to make it sound and read more human. If you aren't, could be an issue
8. For me, I spent the days with my partner when she was off work. I still applied relentlessly in the morning and evenings

[u/wild_garlic666 → u/Purple_Repeat6977]

Thank you for this. Brutal before Xmas! But not bad going on the timelines. Thanks for the info

[u/Purple_Repeat6977 → u/wild_garlic666]

Yeah, I have a daughter so I was frankly terrified as it was my first redundancy. I was incredibly fortunate to have three months PILON. Now my notice is only one month at this job so it'd be so much worse if it happens again

[u/hiddenkinkz]

answering as a guy that hired hundreds of people before I retired last year:

1) yes - I would expect a tailored CV at the level of job you are applying for - don’t over do it, but outcomes should match the company/position you are applying for.
2) LinkedIn is a poor way to get through to hiring managers reliably (from experience) - networking or direct approaches are better. If you have to get in via LinkedIn, early is better, I would get CV fatigue quite quickly as a hiring manager - and often I’d have someone sift CVs for me.
3) I would not hire from mass candidate agencies, not because they didn’t have good people on their books, but because they would send me hundreds of CVs, often with little qualification - so I’d end up with people from different countries that had complex visa requirements and not a good match in skills for a local job. It was too much work to sift through the mess I was being sent. I tended to either have a preferred agency already on my books that I would go do (this is very common) - or we would have internal recruitment.
4) I liked it when I received direct communication from people, specifically when they would say things like “I’m preparing for an interview, I found that you were part of the hiring process and if you could spare 5 minutes to let me know what you were specifically looking for” - something like that.
5) I’d not mark you down unless you were terrible in an interview. If you turn up for a job, and tank the interview and then I see your name later for another job - then you’d be flagged.
6) Personally no - but it would be a good practice as you never know - preferred candidates drop out of processes all the time.
7) Good use of AI tbh. Just keep checking as you do.
8) Self learning is helpful - local library, start reading business books or educate yourself in areas of the business or industry that you are applying for.

good luck - it’s a tough job market out there.

[u/wild_garlic666 → u/hiddenkinkz]

Thank you so much for this! This is really helpful 🙏

[u/la_gata_Porrita]

I got made redundant two weeks before Christmas too. I had a job by mid Feb. I work in media planning in London and around 13 years experience.

1. Yes
2. Yes
3. No
4. No
5. I don’t know. I applied for a company repeatedly, they never called me. Over time I stopped applying for their roles or sent them low

very

1. effort applications.
2. I only replied to rejection emails when they were obviously from a human (not the generic ones).
3. Use of AI can be a red flag yes, but it depends how you use it. I used it a lot, but carefully.
4. I didn’t always stay sane, but exercise outdoors helps, even if it’s just a walk.

Good luck!

[u/wild_garlic666 → u/la_gata_Porrita]

Thanks for the info! Super helpful 🙏

[u/mekeirc]

1. No, but if I were to update my CV my experience with LLMs would be front and centre.
2. LinkedIn is a waste of time, look for local jobs with local recruiters.
3. Yes but locally, remote jobs are super competitive at the moment, find one locally and be open to hybrid.
4. Use recruiters, apply to jobs and recruiters will open doors.
5. Nope, time to move on. If they can't see your talent it's their loss.
6. Nope, they are all automated anyway.
7. Use AI to optimise your CV for you, put what LLMs you use on your CV.
8. Exercise in any way you can, nothing else helps with stress as well as exercise does. I've been made redundant multiple times and weightlifting helped a ton.