Nail the no-brainers, showcase your skills, and highlight your humanity.

In the past week, I’ve reviewed hundreds of applications for a mid-level data analyst position. That’s right, no AI was used by me in the hiring process, just regular human eyeballs. Here’s some advice for job seekers based on the applications I read:

Nail the no-brainers

• Clarify Your Location: For a hybrid or in-person job, it helps if you indicate in your application where you are currently located or could be located. Phrases like “Open to Relocation” or “Moving to Boston June 2025” are helpful if you’re not already based in the right location. Please don’t make me guess whether you read/understood the job’s location requirements.

• Application Questions: Instead of a cover letter, we had two short-answer questions asking applicants to explain 1) their interest in the role and 2) their experience with the two most important tools in the job description. Anyone who wrote “n/a” or “…” or “discuss in interview” put themselves at a disadvantage compared to the number of thoughtful responses I received.

• Always Be Honest: I selected one candidate for an interview based on a specific skill mentioned in their application. When I asked about that skill in the interview, they asked me to define it and said they weren’t sure if they’d heard of it. Whether that was intentional dishonesty or a ChatGPT mistake, it reflected extremely poorly on that applicant.

Showcase your skills

• Know What You Don’t Know: While I reviewed every application, I prioritized those using keywords for the top skills from the job description. Less than 20% of applicants mentioned the two most important technologies listed in the job description on their resume or in their short responses. Some mentioned “I don’t yet have much experience with XYZ, but I am eager to learn / I have completed an online course, etc.” and that was sufficient to keyword-match them into my first level of review. Plus, I appreciated that they acknowledged their experience level instead of leaving it out entirely.

• Links Should Be Good: I love a link to a portfolio site, GitHub, or personal website. If you link to one of these, make sure it’s polished and ready to go. Your GitHub repo with one homework assignment from two years ago isn’t going to impress me, but a cool, up-to-date webpage detailing your skills, linking to sample projects, and letting me learn more about you will.

• Careful with Copy-Paste: Data roles require a high level of attention to detail. If you are going to use ChatGPT to help you write job applications, ensure you don’t paste its text in without removing the placeholders, the prompt itself, or the quotes. That’s a minimum level of effort. I’d recommend writing a first draft yourself and using AI for suggestions on making it more concise, instead of straight copy-pasting.

Highlight your humanity

• Don’t Hide Behind Buzzwords: I reviewed countless applications that described a “passion for data-driven business outcomes”. That’s not a passion for anyone, it’s jargon. I lead a data team, and that’s not even a passion of mine. “I enjoy working with data and helping the team make smart decisions” is much more authentic. “This position aligns closely with my skills in X, Y, Z” is authentic. Several applicants also wrote about their “strong passion for the podcasting industry” and then their resume included nothing related to media or podcasting. If you have curiosity or interest about an industry but no experience, that’s great — just say that, instead of exaggerating.

• Be Considerate in Proactive Outreach: I received dozens of LinkedIn messages, cold emails to my work and personal emails, and even had some sent to my coworkers and friends. Sending one message, or possibly two, is fine. One person sent me six messages within a week, which ultimately came off as a negative for that applicant because it was so aggressive.

The best applications displayed interest in the role, company, and industry with clear details and no jargon. They focused on the top skills in the job description and avoided unrelated topics. Most importantly, they told a coherent and compelling story among their question responses, resume, LinkedIn, and portfolio.

It’s not an easy job market out there. I have so much empathy for everyone searching for a role right now. To all the job seekers out there, I wish you the best, and hope this advice helps!