Commentary: Rage applying is getting more popular, but it’s more harmful to your job search than you think
Rage applying isn’t a new concept, but it’s steadily growing in popularity. Jobs portal Indeed.com found that 14 per cent of Singapore workers are set to engage in rage applying this year, double the 7 per cent figure in 2023.
On Jan 11, American college student Oliver Wu posted a TikTok showing how he applied for over 500 jobs but received only three offers.
His video quickly went viral, garnering nearly three million views as at Jan 22, but the barrage of responses were mixed: Some applauded his sheer determination, while others derided his choice of job-hunting strategy — a method of applying for jobs “in bulk”, now popularly known as “rage applying”.
This involves the candidate blindly applying for any job that they come across, regardless of relevance or qualifications. Often, these applications can quickly pile up and run into the hundreds.
Rage applying isn’t a new concept, but it’s steadily growing in popularity. Jobs portal Indeed.com found that 14 per cent of Singapore workers are set to engage in rage applying this year, double the 7 per cent figure in 2023.
More often than not, this effort is met with dismal failure to secure even a phone-screening interview, let alone a job. Given the poor odds, why do jobseekers continue to do this?
TOO EASY
With the advent of online job boards that offer “one-click to apply” convenience for advertised roles, such as Indeed and MyCareersFuture, it is sorely tempting to click on the button just to try one’s luck. After all, counting the few seconds it takes to upload a CV document, the whole process takes a mere moment to complete.
Sometimes, because it is so easy to submit applications and resumes online, candidates do not even bother to read the full job description. They see the job title — usually not more than a few words — and think: “That’s close enough; I bet I can do that.”
Human-resource managers tell me of the deluge of applications they receive on a regular basis from individuals who have absolutely no understanding of the role they’ve applied to, frustrating everyone in the process.
‘GUARANTEED’ RETURNS?
Some may ask: In theory, shouldn’t this strategy work for securing a job? After all, as long as you cast a net that’s big enough, you’re bound to get a few fish, right?
In reality, this method typically generates significantly poor returns because of its inherent randomness.
A sales manager with a printing company once told me how he applied for any job with the title “sales”, “marketing” or “business development” in it, regardless of the industry. He even applied for a position with a medical devices company selling endoscopes to surgeons because, “hey, selling is selling”.
Such a “spray and pray” approach where candidates indiscriminately “tries their luck” at jobs they are hardly qualified for, in industries they have little experience in, can only result in low response rates.
POTENTIAL TO BACKFIRE
As a former headhunter, I used to receive at least 50 unsolicited resumes a day, the bulk of which are almost immediately tossed into the trash. We quickly learned to identify and blacklist the serial rage-appliers who keep choking up our mailboxes with irrelevant applications.
Even if an ideal role were to come up that matched their CV experience, spammers such as these would already be on our “do not entertain” list and would be ignored, much like The Boy Who Cried Wolf.
I have also met desperate individuals who, after months of spamming employers and job boards with unsuitable applications, begin to seriously doubt their own self-worth. “I’ve applied to 300 jobs and didn’t even get a single reply,” they think. “Something must be seriously wrong with me.”
Some, after much disappointment, eventually settle for jobs that they are ill-suited to or considerably below their intended pay grade.
A supply chain manager I know was so frustrated with his poor job-search outcomes that he accepted a role as a security guard at a petrochemical plant.
It’s not uncommon for many to enter a downward spiral of self-sabotage or depression, blaming the economy, the Government, foreign talents, and even poor fengshui — worsening their job-search readiness or giving up on landing a job altogether.
WHAT DO I DO INSTEAD?
Don’t pivot too far away.
Those seeking a quick win should apply for positions similar to those they currently occupy or most recently occupied, within the same or adjacent industry. Some may perceive such roles as low-hanging fruit, but the fact is that attempts at making coherent, complementary moves usually yield better results.
For instance, a credit card marketer at a bank could seek roles in a hotel chain’s marketing department, as both jobs involve direct marketing of membership programmes to the public. Recruiters and hiring managers will be attracted to such a profile, as the transferability of skills and competencies is immediately apparent.
Reach out to contacts for opportunities.
Networking has continually proven to be highly effective in securing jobs, especially in a bad market.
One’s list of contacts could include former colleagues, ex-bosses, vendors and even clients as these players are operating in the same markets and might know of new openings available.
Those who haven’t had the opportunity to build up their personal network — fresh graduates or younger jobseekers, for example — can always tap their university alumni, their own social network, or even connections of their parents and other older, more experienced people close to them.
Leverage technology — correctly.
Using a networking platform like LinkedIn to reconnect with old contacts from your industry is highly recommended and is an unobtrusive way of networking, even for the attention-shy introvert.
A simple “How are you doing?” is a great way to reignite old and forgotten connections that could prove useful for your job search.
Browsing your ex-colleagues or course-mates’ LinkedIn profiles can also provide you with ideas regarding possible pivots you could explore.
For instance, an air stewardess seeking a career change noticed on LinkedIn that many of her former cabin crew colleagues had joined customer-relations roles with hospitality companies. Inspired, she modified her job search accordingly and successfully landed a similar role.
SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS
There are many effective ways to look for jobs, but even as the search process continues to become more convenient, spamming applications blindly via rage applying isn’t one of them. Instead, such an undiscerning strategy is more likely to prove detrimental to your job-search and emotional well-being.
Make use of available resources to aid you in refining and enhancing your search: The CareersFinder feature on the MyCareersFuture portal, for example, assesses your profile to suggest suitable job matches and upskilling recommendations. When in doubt, do approach a professional career coach for advice.
Casting a large enough net might eventually nab you a fish or two, but there are better ways to ensure you catch something that you actually want.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Adrian Choo is the chief executive officer and founder of Career Agility International, a career strategy consulting firm. He is a published author, speaker and thought leader in careers, as well as a C-suite career mentor.
