​I am sure there are many people reading this article who might wonder what happens to their online job applications. We’ve all seen job ads on LinkedIn that have well over 250+ applications – do all of those applications really get reviewed?

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Here’s how we tackle your applications at Argyll Scott…

There are a couple of main reasons why we post a job advert. Firstly, it’s to get our brand name out there. Let people know who we are and give them a way to access our website or our LinkedIn pages. Secondly, and most importantly, we do it to try and uncover someone who we may not already know in the market.

In the first 10 minutes of posting the job, we would normally receive half a dozen (if not more) applicants who have our job title on their alerts. Reviewing these candidates, it is more than likely they will not be relevant to the role as they applied without actually reading the job description.

Then as you settle into the evening (perhaps you’re enjoying a glass of wine with your family or friends), applicants from across the globe are starting to see the job on their portals and they too begin to apply for the role. Your phone buzzes with email notification after email notification, letting you know you have more job applications.

By the first morning, you could have anywhere from 20 to 50 or 60 applicants for the role, so you’re excited to read through these applicants.

In your advert you may have specified that candidates must have two certain things – business proficient mandarin and experience as a Resident Manager in a Trust Company. Both essential requirements for the role. Both of which cannot be compromised.

A job I posted in the past had this exact criterion yet the responses I got were very surprising. I received many applications ranging from fresh graduates who could speak mandarin but had never worked in Trust, to lawyers based in Europe or the US who want to move to Singapore for a fresh chance. I received out of date LinkedIn profiles or resumes, contact numbers that did not work and email addresses that bounced. In the first 48hrs of my job advert going live, there was only ONE credible candidate worth having a conversation with and that was someone I already knew. The other 30+ candidates were mostly not relevant at all and the odd one or two were uncontactable.

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So why am I writing this article for you?

Well, my advice to anyone who reads this is to not be put off by a job advert that reads 200+ applicants applied. There is a good possibility that a majority of those applicants are not as suitable for the role as YOU may be. From someone who posts jobs on portals regularly, here are my top tips to help you in your application for a new job;



1. Take 15 mins to really think about the advert.
2. The essential criteria – do you have those skills/attributes?
3. The company – who is it and what do they do? Can you speak to anyone about the role first before applying, to get some insider knowledge?
4. The role’s responsibilities – what are the things you can do versus the things you cannot do? What is most important to the business/job?
5. Check your resume.
6. Are your essential details correct? Contact no./email address, etc.
7. If you are applying using your LinkedIn page, make sure it is detailed and up to date with your correct contact details
8. Cross-check your resume with the advert – would your application make sense to the reader? Have you highlighted what you can offer them in line with what they need?
9. Submit your application with confidence!

I know the above may sound basic, but sometimes we need to go back to basics to bring out our best selves. These little tips will hopefully help you land opportunities you would otherwise be put off by jobs with 200+ applicants.

Good luck in your job search and feel free to reach out to me or any of my colleagues at Argyll Scott and Hydrogen Group for a chat.