The Loophole in Applications

No one can truly understand the rush of adrenaline that runs through you when you are applying for a job until you have felt it yourself. If you have every document you need, applying is considered easy. Yet, I myself discovered a loophole in the process.

What is adrenaline?

Our body produces adrenaline at the moment of being under a stressful situation. Anxiety is associated with adrenaline production. Many applicants feel this way at the moment of waiting for a response, or even upon reading the application. We as candidates feel unable or scared to achieve the requirements, and create this response even before we receive the answer. According to Psychology, it is common to experience this kind of reaction when you are making a big decision. Although it is common, it should not be considered something good.

An article of CNBC released: 78% of candidates lie during the application process and affects their whole path. Why? They tend to get too much adrenaline at the moment of applying or conducting an interview, which creates worry and anxiety for them. As a result, they lie with their responses. This is a response we've all experienced, so I decided to address the primary reason behind it.

What is the loophole?

Whenever you experience an adrenaline rush, your vision becomes clouded as a result of the physiological reaction you experience during a stressful moment. It happens to me every time I start applying for jobs. Here is where I realised it affected my applications, and the responses I got. This is where the loophole is.

Usually, candidates don't even read the requirements and think if they don't apply early they won't have the chance. Let me assure you, the time frame of your application doesn't matter if you don't match with the job's requirements and company's needs. So actually, it does not matter how much you take to apply. The average time it takes to receive an application for a job position is about 2 weeks or more. In other words, it does not matter if you take one day or more to apply.

How do you close the loophole?

I have discovered that following this steps helped avoid the unnecessary complications in the job application process and the results they may bring.

1. Save your applications before applying - Read the application and the requirements after or before you start your normal day. You will have it when you are free to apply if you save it. It will give you more time to consider whether you really like the application and the company. It saves you the despair of frustrating over the amount of applications you send.
2. Breakdown the application - Divide the job requirements by sections. Divide them by the ones you can do best, and the ones you need to work on. This will make you more confident at the moment of responding in the interview so you avoid lying in any qualification. It will also give you proof, you can achieve the requirements.
3. Be honest with yourself - One of the hardest decisions as a candidate is to identify which application will really be suitable for you. I wanted my dream job, so this drove me to apply to every company I could, without taking my time. This is a huge mistake. Why? because when you get the rejection you will not even know why. You won't be able to notice what you can improve.
4. Receive advice - Before you hit send, ask a friend or a person you trust to tell you what they think about the position. Sometimes we don't like to accept we can't achieve a requirement, and it is not something to be ashamed of. Remember, nobody is that perfect for a job position.

I have applied to over 80 companies in the past months, and have used this steps until my last applications. They made a huge difference in my attitude and my perspective towards my own skills, even after I got rejected. Your identification of the loophole will give you an advantage to motivate within every application, and give you a huge advantage in handling your reaction before and after applying.

CNBC Article: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/02/19/how-many-job-seekers-lie-on-their-job-application.html