I Received 12,000+ Applications for One Job
How to Make Your Resume Stand Out
A Letter to my Applicants,
Recently, I made a post about an opening we have on our team at Disney/Hulu and did not expect the amount of reach and engagement that it received. With over 34,000 impressions, 300+ likes, 57 shares, and counting, my LinkedIn blew up in a matter of days.
Before I was hired at Disney, I had submitted over 350 applications to various companies in search for my next role. I kept a spreadsheet to track whether I attached a cover letter and who responded to me. At the time, I thought that 350 was a ridiculous amount, but now I see our current job market and know that many of you have easily passed that number. Out of all those applications I sent out, I only received two interviews.
The first company rescheduled my interview three times and no-showed me all three times.
And then Disney took a chance on me.
To say I’ll be forever grateful is an understatement. I love that I work for the mouse and am excited to give someone else that opportunity as well.
But I can only hire 1 person for this Social Media Moderator role.
And we received over 12,000 applications for it.
12 THOUSAND. Not 12 hundred.
I’m still wrapping my head around it all.
I had full intentions to go in and review every single applicant. I’m aware that ATS software is commonly used in many recruiting processes and can cause notable applicants to fall through the cracks due to the emphasis on keywords. During this process I realized how impossible it would be for me to personally review every applicant and still allow me to support my team as my role expects of me.
For those that applied, our recruiter has begun reviewing resumes and will follow up with candidates that have been chosen to move forward. And for those who I end up interviewing, I am excited to meet you!
For those of you that reached out and messaged me, I read every single message. But if I were to give 5 minutes to over 200 people, that would be 16+ hours of responses, which is also something I don’t have time for.
What I can do for everyone that applied is give advice. Be it from resumes that I was able to get my hands on during this transition, or past roles I’ve hired for, here are some takeaways that I hope will increase your chances of landing big job:
Name your resumes with something other than “resume 2024”: Consider using a more unique title. When multiple resumes share the same name, it can become challenging to distinguish yours from others. By ensuring your document stands out, you increase the chances of making a memorable impression on the hiring manager. Additionally, this small gesture can save time for the person reviewing your resume, which is a thoughtful consideration.
File type matters: Don’t send your resume/cover letter as a Word document. Not everyone has access to that program, but everyone should be able to open up a PDF. PDFs are more secure, less likely to be unintentionally altered, and are the professional standard in this instance.
Readability: From font, to the colors you use (banners, font, etc.), and even composition. You never know who may be reading your resume and whether or not they have difficulty seeing, are colorblind, etc. I highly recommend using Sans Serif fonts in your resume. Google Fonts are free; use them at your disposal! Standing out can be a good thing but in this case your goal is readability. Lime green font and a red background probably isn’t your safest bet to stand out. If you are wondering, yes, I have seen this. This is why you often see black-and-white resumes.
Formatting: Good formatting enhances readability. Clear headings, bullet points, and consistent font styles and sizes make it easier for us to quickly find and understand your qualifications and experience.
Proofread everything: For anyone that messaged me, I was happy to see you going the extra mile to put your name out there. However, I did notice that I received a number of messages containing typos, grammatical errors, and repeated words. I also came across cover letters that mentioned the wrong role and even the wrong company. I kindly encourage you to proofread everything before sending! For anything I write I always follow “the rule of 3” meaning you go through a minimum of 3 reads. One silent, one out loud, and another that someone else reads to me. The same applies to resumes.
Quality of download: I noticed that some of the resumes I received appeared distorted and pixelated, suggesting they may not have exported properly. It might be helpful to double-check the quality of your work before submission!
Resume length: I have come across resumes over the years that extend to 4-5 pages. Unless you are targeting a high-level position, this length may not be necessary and could be somewhat overwhelming for reviewers. If your resume is looking more like a memoir, ask yourself how much is relevant to the role you’re applying for.
Keywords: If you’re at the mercy of software reviewing your resume vs. a human, keep in mind that ATS software scans for keywords that match the job description and does better at reviewing standard resume formats. This means you should avoid complex layouts, graphics, or columns. Carefully review the job description for the role and try to use the same wording in regard to keywords if it applies to your experience. Which brings me to my next point:
Read the job description: The most recent job we posted is a moderator position with zero content creation. I still received a very large number of messages and cover letters expressing interest and excitement in obtaining this role so that they could create content. This was disheartening because it wastes the time of you, me, and everyone else applying that actually wants the role for what the role entails.
Job experience duration: I don't view gaps in employment as a concern. I fully recognize that life presents various circumstances that can lead to breaks for health, family, travel, or other reasons, and I respect your privacy regarding how you spent that time. However, I've noticed several resumes listing job experiences lasting only a month to five months. Employers typically prefer assurance that the investment in training will not be undermined by frequent resignations. You might consider it’s relevance and whether it's necessary to include every job you've held on your resume. It’s perfectly acceptable to omit those experiences that don’t align with your overall goals.
Cover Letters: I understand that cover letters are not everyone’s preferred approach and some may view them as unnecessary. However, I personally find them quite valuable and make it a point to read through them every time. I see them as an opportunity for an initial interview before the actual interview. This is your chance to highlight your accomplishments, projects, goals, and more. While your resume outlines your work history and demonstrates your qualifications, it may not fully capture the personal projects you’ve undertaken or the metrics you’ve achieved. It is useful insight to your ability to write and how you use your voice. While you might not see them as essential, I can assure you that they can certainly make a difference in our discussions.
Thank you to everyone who applied. I appreciate your understanding and patience as we navigate through this process. For those I will be interviewing, I look forward to our conversation and the possibility of welcoming you to our team. For everyone else, keep pushing forward. I know the market is discouraging right now and feels fruitless. You’ve got this!
Best of luck to all of you in your job search!
