Hot Tip Tuesday #52: 

Why “Apply for Everything” Is Bad Advice (and what you should do instead)

If you’ve been job searching for a while, chances are you’ve heard this advice more than once:
“Just apply for everything. Something will stick.”

It sounds practical. It sounds proactive. And when pressure is high, it can feel like the only responsible thing to do.

But for many jobseekers, applying for everything does not lead to progress. It leads to burnout.

Why mass applications quietly wear you down

On paper, sending out dozens of applications looks productive. In reality, it often creates a loop that is hard to escape.

You spend hours tailoring résumés and cover letters. You submit application after application. Then… silence. Or rejection. Or no response at all.
Or, at the other end of the scale, you are so worn down that tailoring becomes impossible, and applications start going out generic and rushed, just to get them done.

Either way, the result is similar.

Over time, this can chip away at confidence. You start to question your skills, your experience, even your value, not because you lack capability, but because you are working flat out with very little feedback or traction.

Being busy is not the same as progress.

How employers read scattergun applications

From the employer’s side, high-volume applications often tell a story, and not always the one people intend. When a résumé does not clearly align with the role, or a cover letter feels generic, employers rarely think “this person is keen.” More often, they read uncertainty. Someone who is not quite sure what they are aiming for, or why this role makes sense for them right now. That does not mean you are doing anything wrong. It just means effort alone is not always enough to cut through.

A simple filter: is this worth applying for?

Instead of asking “Can I apply for this?”, it can help to pause and run applications through a short check:

• Can I explain why this role makes sense for me right now?

• Do I meet enough of the role to realistically learn the rest?

• If I could only submit three applications this month, would this be one of them?

If the answer is “not really” to most of these, skipping that application is not laziness. It is strategy.

Why fewer, better-aligned applications often work better

When you focus on roles that genuinely fit your skills, interests, or next step, a few things tend to change.

Your applications become clearer. Your examples make more sense. Your confidence shows up more naturally, because you are not trying to be everything to everyone.

This does not guarantee a job. Nothing does. But it often leads to better conversations, stronger feedback, and momentum that feels more sustainable.

A final thought

If you have been applying for months and feel exhausted, it is not a sign you are failing or not trying hard enough. You might simply be spreading your energy too thin. Sometimes the most productive move is not applying for more roles. It is applying with better intention.

If you would like help working out which roles are actually worth your energy right now, that is exactly the kind of conversation we are here for. If you wuld like to discuss this (or anything career-wise!) get in touch with the team at Glenorchy Jobs Hub!