The job market is a battlefield. For many workers, the advice to ‘just apply for more jobs’ rings hollow when you’ve already sent out hundreds of CVs with no reply. Yet a new report from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation suggests that a targeted approach – rather than a scattergun one – could be the key to escaping unemployment.
Take Claire, 34, a former retail manager from Doncaster. After her store closed, she spent four months firing off applications to every warehouse, call centre and coffee shop within a 20-mile radius. ‘I applied for hundreds of jobs,’ she says. ‘I lost count after 150. I got two interviews, and one was for a zero-hours contract that didn’t even guarantee me a shift.’ Her story is not unique. With 1.5 million people unemployed in the UK and vacancies falling, the competition for every role is fierce.
But career experts now argue that volume is not the answer. ‘Employers are drowning in applications, especially for lower-paid roles,’ says Dr. Emma Jones, a labour market specialist at the University of Manchester. ‘A generic CV and cover letter get lost. The trick is to tailor each application to the specific role, even if that means applying for fewer jobs overall.’ For Claire, this was a revelation. After attending a free workshop run by the local Jobcentre Plus, she rewrote her CV to highlight her management experience and customer service skills. She targeted just three supermarkets that she knew were hiring. Within two weeks, she had an interview and a job offer.
This shift from quantity to quality is being pushed by the government’s new ‘Back to Work’ plan, which offers coaching and CV workshops for the long-term unemployed. But critics say the real problem is a lack of jobs that pay a living wage. ‘You can tailor all you like, but if there are no decent jobs, it’s a waste of time,’ says Frances O’Grady, former general secretary of the TUC. ‘We need investment in good, secure employment, not just tips on how to sell yourself better.’
For now, the reality for many is a part-time or zero-hours role. The number of people in ‘insecure work’ – agency, temporary or on-demand contracts – has risen to 3.7 million, according to the TUC. This is the ‘real economy’ that rarely makes headlines: people like Mark, 50, a former builder from Middlesbrough, who now works 12 hours a week as a delivery driver. ‘I applied for 200 jobs in construction, but no one wants a man my age,’ he says. ‘I got this job because a mate knew the boss. It’s not about your CV, it’s about who you know.’
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation report acknowledges that networking and targeted applications work best for those with some existing connections. For the most isolated jobseekers, the advice to ‘tailor your CV’ can feel like a cruel joke. ‘The real tip is to have a family member who can get you a foot in the door,’ says Claire, now a department manager. ‘I was lucky. But luck shouldn’t be the strategy.’
Yet there are glimmers of hope. In sectors like hospitality and care, where demand for workers remains high, a well-crafted application can still stand out. And for those with the time and energy, the ‘hundreds of jobs’ approach may eventually yield a result – but at a huge mental cost. ‘It’s demoralising,’ says Mark. ‘You start to think you’re worthless.’
The lesson for policymakers is clear: career tips are not a substitute for a strong economy and good jobs. But for individual jobseekers, the evidence suggests that a targeted, tailored approach is more effective than a desperate mass mailing. As Dr. Jones puts it: ‘You’re not just a number on a page. Show them who you are. It might just get you the job.’
