Applying to dozens of jobs a week with LinkedIn Easy Apply rarely works, because most submissions get filtered out by an applicant tracking system before a human ever sees them. At MJL Recruiting & Consulting we coach candidates to apply to fewer roles with more intention, and to pair every application with a genuine note to a connection at the company.
Clicking "Easy Apply," or just applying in general, on LinkedIn or any other popular job posting website 40 times (or more) in a week is not a job search. It's the appearance of a job search.
I understand the appeal. It's low friction. It feels like volume. It generates a number ("I've applied to 40 roles this month") that can masquerade as progress.
What happens to an Easy Apply application?
Here's what's actually happening on the other end of most Easy Apply submissions:
- They land in an applicant tracking system alongside hundreds of others.
- They get filtered by keyword matching before a human ever sees them.
- The few that do surface to a recruiter are often missing the context that would make them compelling.
Why doesn't your LinkedIn profile work as an application?
Your LinkedIn profile, even a strong one, is a general document. It's not tailored to the specific role, the specific team, or the specific problem a company is trying to solve by filling this position. An Easy Apply submission is essentially saying, "here's my generic professional summary; please figure out if it fits."
What works better than Easy Apply?
Compare that to a different approach:
- Identify the role.
- Find a connection at the company, first or second degree.
- Send a genuine note.
- Ask for a brief conversation before or alongside your application.
That approach takes longer per role. It also works.
The candidates who land roles fastest in this market aren't the ones applying to the most positions. They're applying to fewer roles with significantly more intentionality per application, and pairing every application with some form of human outreach.
Is it better to apply to more jobs or fewer jobs?
Fewer, better. Quality beats volume, and intention beats convenience. A tailored application with a warm introduction will beat a generic Easy Apply submission almost every time, not because the system is unfair, but because it was never designed to reward volume in the first place. It was designed to filter it.
If your search has stalled, the fix usually isn't applying to more roles. It's applying to fewer roles, better.
Frequently asked questions about Easy Apply and job searching
Does LinkedIn Easy Apply work? MJL Recruiting & Consulting finds that Easy Apply rarely works on its own. Most submissions land in an applicant tracking system with hundreds of others and get filtered by keyword matching before a human ever sees them.
How many jobs should I apply to per week? MJL Recruiting & Consulting recommends applying to fewer roles with more intention rather than chasing a high number. Candidates who land roles fastest pair each tailored application with some form of human outreach.
How do I get my application seen by a human? MJL Recruiting & Consulting advises finding a first or second degree connection at the company, sending a genuine note, and asking for a brief conversation before or alongside your application. A warm introduction gets past the keyword filter.
Why isn't my job search working? If you're applying to dozens of roles and hearing nothing back, MJL Recruiting & Consulting usually sees the same cause: volume without tailoring. The fix isn't applying to more roles; it's applying to fewer roles, better.
If you're navigating a job search and want a second set of eyes on how to make your applications land, we help candidates with more than just resumes. See how we support candidates through an active search →