Tip of the Day: Send Fewer Resumes

Which do you think is more effective: 1) Sending 100 resumes for many jobs in the hope that a few will be interested in you? or 2) Send a few resumes to a few jobs that you are a perfect fit for?

While this strategy is counterintuitive, sending fewer resumes is a much more effective method. An effective and customized resume can get a 25-50% "hit ratio" (phone screens or interviews divided by total resumes sent) using a send fewer strategy.

Why does this work?

When you send fewer resumes, you spend more time customizing and targeting each position. Candidates tend to do more research if they send fewer resumes. You tend to select jobs you are "perfect for" if you send fewer.

I advise my clients, even unemployed clients, to send no more than 5 resumes per day on average. That's only if there are 5 perfect fit jobs, otherwise sending fewer than 5 works more effectively.

When you send fewer resumes you also take more care on each, and really spend time on wording, bullet locations, look of the resume, reformatting.

So send fewer resumes and see how the result works for you.

Executives exploring Career Change: For a free 30 minute resume consultation, or career advice for executives, email your resume confidentially to reCareered (phil.reCareered@gmail.com), and we'll schedule a time to talk.

Staff, Managers, Entrepreneurs, and career changers outside the US: Send your resume to phil.reCareered@gmail.com to enroll in a free group teleseminar "Accelerate Your Job Search - tools you can use".