Today I want to write about the application process. This is part one of a three part series on my thoughts about how to get a job.

The other day we had a beer with a friend and his ex Eva. She had studied graphic design and in my opinion she’s quite capable. She can paint. She is someone everybody wants to invite to his birthday party, cause chances are her gift will be a drawn portrait of some sort, or – if she likes you – maybe even a proper painting.

However, despite her talent she could not find a job. She’s tried advertising agencies, she’s tried to be an art teacher, she even tried to get a job as a guide in a museum. We talked about it for a while and finally she dropped the bomb and I dropped my jaw.

I asked: “So how many applications did you send out?”

Answer: “65.”

That got me thinking. How can someone talented send out 65 applications over the course of several months and not get a job? I know the economy is bad and competition in her field is high, but still.

Here’s my recommendation:

Stop writing dozens of applications. If you think writing more applications increases your chances to get a job you might just as well think a book that has many pages must be good. This is silly. It’s like shooting a shotgun at the job market. Hoping you will score a hit somehow.

Instead you want to take the sniper approach.

Pick a company and research it. Find out what they are doing, how many people they employ, who the biggest clients are and – if such information is available to the public – get their revenue and profit numbers. This will allow you to get a feeling for their challenges and present yourself as a solution to any potential problems. It shows that you “get” them. Also call the company or even visit them to talk with someone in person. This will give you more information for a highly personalized cover letter.

Finally don’t forget that sometimes perseverance pays off. Writing a couple of extra emails and calling might just change their mind. Especially if it was a close call between you and someone else. Seeing that you are highly motivated to work for a company will at least make them think twice.

And if you still get rejected, call the person that was in charge of the application process and kindly ask for a few minutes to clarify why you have been rejected. This might help you find mistakes in your application so you can do better next time.

Since we had that night out Eva has found a job. It could quite possibly be the beginning of a successful career. She’s currently designing poster ads for a big beauty product. She’s doing quite well.

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