Applied for 80 roles and failing

[Godcalledinsick]

Please could I have words of encouragement? Lost my marketing job due to redundancy in April.

Been applying for roles (office, hybrid and WFH!) and been to a few interviews etc. Had a top recruiter edit my CV (it looks so good!)

I just opened Indeed and it stated I've applied for 80 jobs!

80. EIGHTY!

Feeling really low, worthless and dejected!

Anyway, tell me your success stories!

Have you also put the word round to everyone you know, that you’re looking for marketing roles? There’s a chance you could benefit from the very thing that has blocked you in previous applications (that the company already “knew” someone). Quite a lot of companies have a recruitment bounty that they pay to employees who recommend a successful candidate, so there’s a good chance your friends and family would be happy to put your name forward

Good point!! How can I do this without sounding cheeky or like I'm using people? Definitely keen to take advantage of nepotism though! Such a good idea, thank you xx

I'm afraid not as you can graduate at any age.
It sucks though.
I think Indeed has had its day- OP get with a good Agency who will market you and your skills, and be very active on linked in too. Aim high. Good Luck!

I'm older than you and I'm finding job hunting such a slog because of my age. I can take my DOB off my CV but I can't really fudge years of experience, and why should I??? It's my experience that makes me good at what I do. You should put a post up on LinkedIn explaining that you're looking for a non-graduate position and make sure your profile is set to 'seeking work'. I've had some approaches that way.

@Howdoidothisanymore you're right, Indeed has had its day! Feel silly for not realising sooner.

@Bookworm777 you flipping genius! I didn't even know I could set my profile to "seeking work"..... done! Yay! You've cheered me up so much.

Strange. I'm in a biggish city and wanted a Bid Manager. We only got about 8 applications and, out of desperation, I've given the role to someone with no real relevant experience. Its a bit of a nightmare to be honest - they are absolutely not up to scratch.
OP, do you tailor your CV to each role you apply for, and add a tailored covering letter?

75% of applications are never even read as ATD systems automatically discard them. Use resumeworded and JobScan to tweak your CV for each role to beat the computer.

@HikingBoots yes I tailor it all for each application. I love writing so I quite enjoy it.

@lomoko crikey!!! Thank you for this heads up, you absolute star!

Can you ask someone to proof read your CV and cover letter with a critical eye before you send them? (Someone with experience of recruitment). I find it surprising that you have had 80 rejections if you are tailoring each cover letter. Tbh if I am applying for a job I also tailor the wording on my CV to bring to the fore the skills/experience that they are looking for. 3 quality applications are worth 30 poor quality applications imo.
Also make sure that you're always following the format they're asking for. We've thrown out applications for being too short, not following instructions, misnaming the role or organisation, etc.
Don't use Indeed!! It's complete trash. We never advertise there. Go directly onto company websites to follow their application processes.

@Godcalledinsick I genuinely don’t think people mind something like “I’m really keen to get back into X, so I’m putting the word out, in case you hear about any opportunities.” You’re not putting pressure on them - you’re just asking them to keep you in mind.

Don't apply for graduate roles! That's your mistake, you don't seem to be reading the job requirements properly.
Don't just rely on Indeed. look at linkedin jobs, charityjobs, jobs.ac.uk, job centre plus, guardian jobs etc.
And yes, tailor your CV to each job. Its time consuming and frustrating when you put that effort in only to be unsuccessful, but it does matter.

Lol thanks. I'm not applying for graduate roles though. You don't seem to be reading the thread properly. 😉

Thanks everyone :) had 3 interview requests today!

I did read the full thread.
You said the feedback was that you were 'not a graduate', so clearly you HAVE been applying for graduate roles and not realising it, or not reading the job spec properly.
Good luck with your interviews.

I would be looking more into networking. Who do you know who may refer you into a company? Could be hiring themselves?

I completed a mini networking course recently and it talks about applying to job ads is reactive but you need to be proactive (through networking). 80% of recruiter time is focused on finding candidates, they don't necessarily expect to get the right person just through an advert.

I would look at Linked In and get daily job alerts set up. Also getting in touch with a couple of recruiters in your field.

If you are looking at SEO roles, look at government/public sector roles, even places like BBC who recruit.