Applying to jobs in 2024

Hi networkers,

Not too long ago I wrote an article on how I would approach job searching today.

But it dove into a lot of the theory, not so much the execution.

And I learn best by example. So what better way to show an example than actually applying for a job?

I decided to mock apply to a new grad role at Scotiabank and in today’s article, I’ll show you the 5 steps I took.

🏁 Here’s the route for this week’s run:

🎙️ Job Application Steps

💡 Apollo: Find Emails on LinkedIn

📍 Go-To Networking Events

Recruiters don’t like students who come off as desperate - those who seem like they’ll accept any role.

Okay, to be honest, most of us probably would…but don’t let them know that!

It’s best to have an idea of what you want.

I like tech and strategy, so I found a similar role by searching company sites and LinkedIn Jobs.

The keywords I used to filter for student/grad roles were:

For simplicity, I was only looking at Scotiabank, so I came across this role.

If you’re looking at multiple companies, I’d select at least 1 role per place.

I value coffee chats with recruiters a lot. If they go well, they can guarantee an interview round with the hiring manager!

Here’s how I found who I wanted to talk to:

Ok so I found my company, role, and the recruiters, but what the heck do I say?

Well, let’s start with the right approach…

Think about it, recruiters get hundreds of DMs daily from people asking for chats. How do you differentiate yourself?

You have to express genuine curiosity about them first. Doing so will make them more eager to reply.

Here’s an example. In one of the recruiter’s profiles, I found this:

Before Scotiabank, she was, a lifeguard in Hamilton, worked for Mercedes-Benz, and did a TA role at McMaster!

There are many things I could ask, like how she transitioned from lifeguard to comms, or what interested her in teaching consumer behavior.

Here’s something I would write:

Once you’ve messaged your 5+ people, the last thing to do is apply.

Scotiabank doesn’t take resumes but with most other companies, this is when I tailor my resume and cover letter to their role description.

The last step is being consistent!

What I’ve learned is you can do everything right and still not hear back.

Which is normal. There have been several times when I had to contact the same recruiter 4-5 times to get a response.

I tend to follow these guidelines:

Remember that it can be a numbers game.

If a recruiter doesn’t get back, move on to the next one.

I was contacting at least 5+ a week. If you’re looking for a metric, try aiming for 5 contacts a week too!

Actionable Steps

Hope this was helpful! Go ahead and apply to 1 posting this week using these steps! It can even be the role I used as an example!

Until next week, best of luck! 🍀

-Michael Ly

This week’s tool is Apollo! LinkedIn is a bit saturated which is why I contact recruiters via email.

But not all recruiters list their emails. That’s where Apollo comes in! It’s a handy Google extension that lets you find any email on LinkedIn.

Once I started cold emailing, my response rates shot up.

Get it for yourself here! (It’s free too)

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