Why You Shouldn’t Apply For Multiple Jobs At The Same Company

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So, you’re on the prowl for a new job and you come across a couple of openings at an incredible company. The positions are perfect for your skillset and experience, so you make moves to apply for both. But we’re here to tell you to stop making those moves.

We’re sure that there is a case or two in which applying to multiple positions at the same company makes sense (like if the company is huge and the positions aren’t within the same department or team), but for the most part, it’s a mistake. Here’s why.

Multiple applications could make you seem indecisive.

Anyone can tell you that typically, companies search for candidates who can fit perfectly (or almost perfectly) into the role they’re advertising. If you apply to both a marketing specialist position and a sales executive position, for example, recruiters or hiring managers could take notice (and you should always assume that they’ll put two and two together). You may think that by applying to both, you’re saying, “I have experience in both and a broad skillset,” but what the company sees could be, “I don’t know what I want!” The last thing that company wants is to hire someone who is cool with doing whatever over a person who has targeted their entire career toward a particular position.

You could look a little phony.

When you apply somewhere, you typically submit a resume and cover letter. In just about every article, book, podcast and conversation about how to appeal to a potential employer, you’ll know that personalization is key when crafting and sending along these materials. Your cover letter, for example, should be tailor-made to the position you’re applying for, and you should be able to explain exactly why you have the credentials, passion and experience necessary to completely fulfill this position.

Now, imagine you’re the future employer and you receive two applications — one for each position open — from the same person, and that person convinces you in the first position’s cover letter that they are the perfect candidate. Then, you read their second one. Can a candidate be perfect for two roles? We can’t say it’s impossible, but it’s unlikely.

The Bottom Line

Of course, there are situations in which our advice may not apply, like if you’re applying at a huge company with multiple HR points of contact. And if you must apply to both, apply to one after another — meaning apply to one, see what happens, and then apply to the second if you’re not selected. If you’re that pumped about both positions, you should be fine focusing on one at a time.