Job applications are a strange mix of business transaction and first date. You’re trying to look impressive, professional, and low maintenance all on one or two pages, and that’s not easy to do. The good news is that you can get better at it, and it doesn’t require a magic font or lying about your Excel skills on your application in the first place.
Understanding that hiring is a business process, not a personal judgment, is the first thing you need to do. Companies are filtering risk, time and cost, and that means that your application isn’t being read like a novel; it’s being scanned like a spreadsheet. If your resume doesn’t clearly show value in the first few seconds, it’s not going to get anywhere. And with the birth of AI systems, that’s going to make it more difficult for your application to get through. It’s not because you’re bad, but because the system is busy, which brings us to tailoring.
It’s an annoying thing to do, but it does work. Tailoring every single job application you do to a job description is important. Your resume should show plainly that you sell what they’re buying, mirroring the language without copy-pasting, focusing on results, and cutting anything that doesn’t support the role. If it doesn’t help the company to make money, save time or reduce headaches, it probably doesn’t belong. We mentioned AI systems earlier, and you do need to respect the robots. Many companies use applicant tracking systems and AI to filter resumes before a human ever sees them. With simple formatting, clear headings, and relevant keywords, you’ll be able to have a beautifully designed resume that doesn’t confuse the software.
The emotional part of applying for a new job is the rejection. Rejection does sting, especially when it feels random, and sometimes it is. Sometimes your Walmart application might have been rejected unfairly, not because you lacked ability, but because of the timing, internal candidates or automated filters during their cold robotic thing. The business lesson here is that you need to not anchor your self-worth to outcomes that you don’t control. If you’re looking for ways to add value to your application, don’t forget that cover letters also still matter. You can skip the dramatic life story, but you can just use it as a way to connect the dots that your resume can’t explain, why the role of this company and how your skills solve their specific problem. Think of it as a short business memo, not a love letter.
From a business perspective, networking also deserves an honorable mention. Referrals lower hiring risk, and that’s why they work. A short, polite message asking for advice, not a job, can move you from an anonymous applicant to a known quantity. Landing a job isn’t about perfection. It’s about being clear, relevant, and persistent. You do that well, and eventually the business case for hiring you becomes obvious, even to the robots.