When we were just out of graduate school, we would hunt for the perfect job, apply to that one, wait for about 6 weeks, check in, then get rejected. This would start over and over again. Thank goodness for mom’s basement (or your partner’s real job, etc.).
However, we told a colleague in tech, and she was shocked at the sheer inefficiency of this “method.” She applied, she said, to dozens of jobs. And sure enough, when we looked again, in pharma, health tech, etc. there are indeed dozens of jobs. The rule of thumb is that a really good haul would be to get 50% screening interviews. That’s if this particular job hunt is on fire.
Lately when hunting for jobs, because of the advent of AI, we no longer advocate for the pray and spray approach, as they say. Every recruiter is overwhelmed with their hundreds of candidates, all with resumes that look the same. But you’re not doing to do that, right?
Find out who the hiring manager is (the senior director or whomever you think is hiring, if it’s not listed). Connect with them on LinkedIn, guess their email addresses, write a note pointing out your qualifications relevant to the position, and that you’ve sent in a resume through the proper channels. Attach said resume. You would be surprised at how many people will answer warmly to you. As opposed to graduate school, when they’re thinking of holes to poke in your ideas or thesis, people in the real world need someone to be able to do this job well. If you present yourself clearly and provide value, it could be you.