Stop Applying to Jobs; Apply to People Instead

What I realized after hundreds of failed applications

Applying to jobs is hard. The moment a company — especially a coveted one — posts a vacancy, hundreds apply before the workweek ends. In most cases, their applications won’t be even looked at. That’s because someone else who knows exactly what the business wants will get accepted.

It’s tricky for a company to communicate in a vacancy announcement what it really takes to land a job there. This insider knowledge can’t be obtained by reading their About page either.

Here’s how I, an introvert, acquired this knowledge: Instead of applying to jobs, I applied to people. Like companies, individuals have their own values and requirements. Values are what define people and their work. Requirements are what it takes to get a response from them. If you show these values and fulfill some of their requirements, they’ll help.

Most call this “networking”; it’s a nasty word with a bad reputation. But if you call it “Connecting to fellow humans in a way that makes them cherish your company and see you as someone worthy of knowing more,” it sounds much better.

Reaching out to people you don’t know can be difficult. It was for me in the beginning; I’m the person who pretends to do something important on his phone in social gatherings. However when I realized that applying to people is more important than applying to jobs, I decided to put more effort into the former. Gradually, I became better at it.

Here’s how to apply to people:

1. Think of how much the world needs a thoughtful person like you

You hate networking because people who do it aren’t authentic and you’re afraid of sounding like them. If you already have this mental frame, it’s highly likely that you’re a genuine person who has something to say.

All industries — even sales — need someone like you. If you don’t show up, we’ll end up with egocentric, loud people running things.

It’s precisely because you care reaching out can be a valuable asset. Think of it this way: You’re doing it to add some balance the world desperately needs.

2. Reach out to people like you

And by this I don’t mean people who work in the same role. It’s their personality and ideas that matter the most.

A place you can start from is their personal website. What are they talking about? Read the notes they’ve written and take some time to reflect on them. Do they have a portfolio? This means they want to show you the decisions they took for their work to turn out exactly the way you see it. What are these decisions?

No luck finding either? How about the comments they left on social media? Do they have a thoughtfully-written bio on their LinkedIn? What did they write under each company they listed? Have they ever given a talk before? Type their name on YouTube or Vimeo and you’ll be surprised.

As you do your research, ask yourself: Do I relate to their decisions and ideas? Do I have something to add that can bring value to them? Start the conversation from there and be mindful of the personal cues you picked up on.

3. Never be a blank page on the internet

So you did your research and sent your message, congrats! What do you think will happen next? The recipient will, in turn, do their research on you.

You have to be prepared for this one. Humans want to engage in meaningful conversations, so give them a reason to feel excited about getting to know you. One way to do this is to never be a blank page on the internet.

Assess your online existence, content-wise. When the person clicks on your profile picture, what will they find? Do they have everything they need to form a strong enough impression of you? Similar to what we discussed before, make sure your ideas and values are clearly defined through your portfolio, blog, or social media profile.

4. Get to the point

I feel that not expanding on this obvious step is most fitting. But I’m always surprised by how easy it can be to veer off message.

Why are you asking for a quick phone call? If you can’t write a plain, direct answer to this question, don’t reach out.

Muddled thinking doesn’t happen only because of ill-preparedness. Being passionate or excited while communicating your message can also get the reader — or the listener — lost. So always keep your emotions in check and focus.

Which leads us to 5:

5. Treat it as a writing project

It’s rare to find someone who can write an impeccable piece at one go. Articulate writing happens after numerous edits.

Treat the email you’re going to send as a writing project. Apply everything you learned about what makes writing great to it. For me, the most important part is to write over and over. Pay special attention to what could be regarded as convoluted, double-meaning or irrelevant.

Don’t do your research and write on the same day. Don’t write and send on the same day. You’ll be surprised by how much your insight about this person grows when you give what you write more time and attention. This will consequently improve the odds of getting a response.

6. Avoid cliches

I ran across your profile while looking for my next opportunity. Given your knowledge in Y I’m curious about what you think of Z. I’m really interested in what you do as the head manager of ABC.

These sentences, and many others, are empty of meaning. Their structure also brings boredom. The recipient has likely read and ignored similar messages.

When you start writing, your mind will run to the most familiar sentence it knows to open an email. Don’t write that sentence.

7. Accomplish great things (or things that show your desire to accomplish great things)

Networking doesn’t work alone. Make your case by creating something you’re proud of.

It doesn’t have to be great. But it does have to prove that you want to get better. Experts can easily determine whether someone has been pursuing a question for a long time or is just asking it as an excuse to open a line of communication.

Do you intend to ask a LinkedIn software engineer about what it takes to work there? Aside from professional experience, have you been working on your own to reach that goal? Can you articulate the steps you took? If the answer is yes, some LinkedIn engineers would welcome helping to fill in your knowledge gaps.

Your work matters, but knowing people equally does. I wish I knew that earlier. Back when I was in college, I used to enjoy watching documentaries about “tech giants” and successful executives. I was inspired by their consistency and self-belief. But I never paid attention to when they said “When I met [insert name here], that’s when things really started happening.”