Have you ever looked at a job posting multiple times and been unable to decide whether you should apply or not? Maybe you debated applying then next thing you know the role is closed and you can’t apply even if you wanted to?
Looking at a job posting can cause our minds to race with questions, hopes and worries. Often, we wonder things like:
- Do I have enough experience?
- Am I really an expert at (insert the system they want you to be an expert at here)?
- What’s the pay?
- Does hybrid mean 3 or 4 days in office?
- Will they be okay with that vacation I have planned in a few months when I am just starting the job?
Here’s the problem. Before we even apply, we think too far in the future and waste valuable time. The job posting is a few vague paragraphs that are not going to give you all the information you want or need to know. Before we have even taken any action we have made a million assumptions that hinder us from applying (or applying within a decent time frame like 7 days of posting).
So how do we combat that? When looking at a job posting, ask yourself:
From the information I have from the job posting or other places (like networking)..is it worth the time it would take me to submit a high quality application?
That’s it. You know you’ll likely need to write a cover letter or at the very least customize your resume. So knowing how long that may take you then estimate if you think it is worth it to submit an application.
