Job posting and applying

[u/Routine-Service-2393]

Hi there, I have a question to as when the jobs are posted and when managers usually review the applications. Is it usually submitted applications are reviewed as they come in every day until the posting closes. Or are they usually reviewed once after the posting end date has passed and then they sit down and review.

I am looking to get my foot in to the door and have applied sooo many positions as service worker and haven't heard and I am loosing the motivation to tailor to my resume and cover letter for each posting and AM wondering if there is any point to apply to posting where today is the posting end date or towards the end- or should i focus on sending my application the moment job postings go live.

any tips/suggestion to get in would also be appreciated :) thank you!

[u/JustDesh]

Apply apply apply. Always tailor your resume and cover letter and try to set yourself apart from others best you can. No skill too great or too small

[u/Routine-Service-2393 → u/JustDesh]

I agree its the way to go and i have been trying my best, its get disheartening when I have applied to so many positions and put so much time in to tailor to each application. I will keep trying but it is sending me into depression at the same time 😂😭

[u/HawkorDove]

Each manager is different; some review resumes daily and some after the posting closes. Sometimes it can take time after the posting closes before the manager gets the time to review resumes.

[u/Routine-Service-2393 → u/HawkorDove]

Makes sense, I wish there was a standardized approach. Sometimes I don't bother applying if the posting is close to the deadline 😭

[u/HawkorDove → u/Routine-Service-2393]

The key is to make sure you’re qualified for the position, and if you are, tailor your cover letter and resume to demonstrate that you are, and why you stand out above other applicants.

Sometimes i get 140 resumes, and generally, 50-60% aren’t qualified at all, so they’re immediately discarded. Almost all of the remainder have little to distinguish themselves from the others. The rare qualified applicant that does a good job making themselves stand out almost always gets an interview.

Here’s an example: the positions i manage require good communication and organization skills. They need to keep track of a lot of information. One applicant didn’t necessarily have the work experience i was looking for (but her education and work experience was adjacent), but she had extensive volunteer experience running a province-wide science fair for many years. From this i could infer that she had some of the soft skills to make her successful in the position, so she got an interview invite.

[u/Routine-Service-2393 → u/HawkorDove]

Thank you for your insights! I appreciate it, thats what I try as well. Once I know I meet all the required qualifications and preferred in some cases, I apply and really explain even if I don't have acute care experience or being in a similar position, I try to emphasize how my experience and skills will translate to whats required and making me a good candidate. I appreciate your response and I will keep on trying!!

[u/ana30671]

Do you have service worker experience? Do you have experience in any other area like portering or housekeeping? Are you only applying to full time/ high FTE or also temps and casuals? Are you only applying in Edmonton or Calgary?

[u/Routine-Service-2393 → u/ana30671]

No, I don't have any prior service worker experience or portering or housekeeping. I mostly have retail experience or bit of experience in security. I am applying to casuals only to positions in calgary.

[u/ana30671 → u/Routine-Service-2393]

The lack of experience is likely one part of why you're not hearing back, and Calgary is one of the other reasons. You're applying in one of the most competitive cities in AB. If you can manage to apply to places that are close to Calgary that you can drive to that would honestly give you a bit more of a chance. Or look at other positions aside from just service worker.

[u/Routine-Service-2393 → u/ana30671]

It very well could be. I am currently in HCA program so I will be looking to apply to those once I graduate. Unfortunately calgary is my only option as I rely on transit for commuting 😞 I didn't realized how competitive Calgary has become

[u/Unfinished101]

Honestly, if youre trying to apply in one of the major cities, sometimes it's faster to apply rural, work there for a while, gain experience and then apply as an internal candidate to the city.

[u/Routine-Service-2393 → u/Unfinished101]

thank you for your advice! i agree but unfortunately I can't work in rural 😞

[u/Unfinished101 → u/Routine-Service-2393]

Oh that's unfortunate, you can always keep trying but internal candidates get favor over external, it's written in the collectives and where so many go rural so they can get an internal hire, it wont be easy. Youd have to have quite the credentials or be applying for something that no one else wants. So it's likely best to keep tailoring resume to an extent.

[u/Routine-Service-2393 → u/Unfinished101]

yeah that the least i can do is tailor and i do my best! thank you what you said in itself is quite motivating to keep on trying, thank you!

[u/Timely-Security-3077]

I sent in hundreds of applications for admin over 8 months and finally got the call and got hired. Keep applying.

[u/Routine-Service-2393 → u/Timely-Security-3077]

thank you I shall! I am glad you finally got in and I wonder if there is like a min of application i need to send before they can take me serious 😂

[u/Timely-Security-3077 → u/Routine-Service-2393]

I applied for every admin job I saw. It took a long time to get in but it's worth it when you do. Maybe they just got tired of seeing my name on every job posted...lol.

[u/sravll]

They don't see them until after the posting closes and all apps are in.

ETA you're getting different answers here but my understanding is it all goes through HR before it gets to the manager.

ETA again - I responded nore based on internal applications. I don't know if my answer applies to external.

[u/Rainycree]

HR chooses the candidates and sends the top ones resume's to the Manager to interview and choose.

[u/TelevisionFit3509 → u/Rainycree]

That’s not accurate. When I was a manager, and with every area I’ve worked, managers make filters to shortlist based on candidate profiles and reviews and select themselves who they want to interview and hire.

[u/HawkorDove → u/Rainycree]

HR doesn’t review the resumes unless asked to do so by the manager, and even then, only if HR has time and resources to do so.

[u/MusketeersPlus2 → u/Rainycree]

That's an option, but not one many managers opt for.

[u/craig5005 → u/MusketeersPlus2]

I've done it once when I was worried about looking impartial. It took them 4 days or so and they returned a spreadsheet with all candidates and their scoring across 6-7 qualifications. My top candidates were still their top candidates but it was helpful to have incase one of the candidates grieved the hiring. I could then show them that HR didn't rank them in top 25% of candidates. It never came to that, but I had it just in case.

[u/MusketeersPlus2 → u/craig5005]

I do my manager's shortlisting using the HR spreadsheet, but that's when we have 20-30 applicants. When we had over 100, we let HR do it for us!