How much time do you spend reading a job post before making the decision to apply for the job? If you are like most candidates, it’s not that long. Since it is so easy to apply for jobs online today, candidates are not taking as much time as they should be reviewing job posts – causing them to miss important details about the job, role, company and other factors.

What happens when you apply without reviewing a job carefully? Many of the jobs you apply for either don’t turn out to be what you thought they were, or you are either over- or under-qualified for the job – and you don’t get a call back.

A job post not only tells you about the position, it can also provide you with some very valuable information about how to apply that will increase your odds of getting a call for a job interview. Here is some of the information that is commonly overlooked by job applicants:

Rather than addressing your application “to whom it may concern,” many job posts include the name or at least the email of the recruiter or hiring manager. Use this information to learn more about the person to whom you are applying and customize your job application accordingly. You can learn a lot of information about the person who is hiring by researching them on Google and social media. Use it to your advantage to get an edge over other applicants.

Always read the fine details of a job application. Application instructions are commonly overlooked by applicants in their excitement for finding a potential job and the rush to apply for it. However, overlooking application instructions, in most cases, will immediately disqualify you from contention.

It’s no secret that many companies use technology to scan resume and job applications for relevancy and to identify top candidates. They do this using specific keywords, many of which are found in the job application itself. Identify the top keywords by reading the post carefully and include them in your resume and application. This is why HR recruiters tell you to customize your resume, cover letter, and application to each job you apply for.

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