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Will Applying To Multiple Jobs At The Same Company Hurt My Chances Of Getting Hired?

February 9th, 2011 · 8 Comments

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applying to multiple=Another quick, short answer post: probably.

Again, let me explain.

The psychology breaks down like this. If you apply to multiple jobs at the same company it doesn’t necessarily show you’re eager to work at that company. It sort of suggests you’re desperate for anything.

More than that, the hiring manager might feel you’re unfocused. As I’ve said many times, when hiring someone, the company is looking for the exact right person to fit their exact need. They want to feel like you’ll fit in like a puzzle piece. If you show up saying, “Hey, I’ll do anything, just pay me!” it sort of takes away from that feeling.

Certainly, many large companies have several job openings that are essentially the same. But I wouldn’t suggest applying to all of them at once.

Instead, I’d suggest you apply one at a time.

If you interview for a position, and don’t get it, then it’s probably ok to apply for the other positions. Applying for multiple positions one after the other actually gives you a couple of advantages.

First, you’re already in their system. They’ve already interviewed you, so it’s a simpler process the 2nd time.

Second, now you can demonstrate that you’re highly motivated to join their team.

After you’ve interviewed once, I’d follow up with email or phone calls or LinkedIn and tell them, hey, you noticed these other positions and you got such a good vibe about the company (from your previous interview) that you really couldn’t pass up the chance to inquire about these other positions.

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  4. Ask Brian – Can I Apply Twice For A Job At The Same Company?
  5. Multiple Job Offers – Choosing Between Them
  6. Career Change- Should You Join A Start-up Company?

Tags: Job Search

  • jchapoy

    So what if you just never hear from a company you applied to, even after follow ups (phone calls, emails..etc) never get returned. Should you continue applying for positions one after another?

  • glassceilingbreaker

    First: Not many companies actually take the time anymore to let someone know that they were not chosen for a position.
    Second: I can’t imagine this would apply to large companies where you might be applying for positions within different departments with different hiring managers.

  • http://27183.myopenid.com/ Display name:

    I’m not saying that what you are saying is factually wrong.

    I am saying that if it is true, it is another indicator of how completely fucked up companies are in how they go about hiring people.

    In July I submitted a resume to a specific position at a company of 150,000 employees.

    They called me in October.

    They interviewed me in December.

    In January they told me the entire project had been cancelled.

    If HR at the company believes my submitting a resume to 4-5 of their currently open 700 positions just in my field there somehow reflects poorly on me, well, that is why I can’t wait for the B-Ark to arrive to take them away.

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  • DJ

    I’m a long-time corporate recruiter and disagree with this advice. Jobs are filled quickly, and often by different teams within a company. If you are *qualified* for and interested in multiple positions, definitely apply to multiple at once. Applying for every opening from internships to management will reflect poorly, but junior candidates in particular may find their skills fit across several departments and should apply accordingly.

  • Luke

    I actually got my current job offer by applying for several jobs one at a time. I started with my best pick and when I wasn’t selected I moved down the list. I lucked out though because after interviewing for my second pick job I got offered my first pick.

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  • http://twitter.com/askmrlee askmrlee

    I agree with glassceilingbreaker. Large companies know that people could be a fit for similar jobs that are in two different departments or groups.

    I understand not wanting to appear unfocused and applying “all over the place”, but Google for example allows you to submit for multiple jobs with one application. If they have 3 Analytics Manager positions with similar requirements, why not apply to all 3 as long as your core skills would appear to be a match for the three.

    If I were to wait until I was rejected from one, it would definitely be too late to apply for job 2, then job 3.