We’ve been hiring for years. Writers, analysts, marketers, researchers. People who are meant to be great communicators. People who say they’re detail-obsessed. And yet every hiring round, we run into the same problems. Bad applications. Broken links. Doctored resumes. And emails that read like AI wrote them while half-asleep.
So if you’re wondering why you’re not getting callbacks, here’s a blunt answer: your application might be broken.
This isn’t a post to dunk on anyone. It’s a practical guide for how to not get instantly passed over. Because when 200+ people apply to a role, and only a handful are genuinely qualified and show it clearly — standing out becomes a design problem. Not a credentials problem.
Long emails won’t save you
If your application email is more than a few lines, it’s too long. Most of us hiring don’t have time to read an essay about why you’re passionate about marketing since the age of 12. If you’re good, your work will show it. You don’t need to wrap it in a motivational letter.
The best emails we get are short. One line. Two, max. If your gut says “I could probably trim this,” you’re already a paragraph too deep. Keep it uncomfortably short. The work speaks louder.
The AI-generated curse
We use AI tools every day. Which means we know exactly what AI-written emails and resumes sound like. There’s a rhythm to it. A weird tone. And sometimes, hilariously, the template placeholders are still in. If you’re going to use ChatGPT, at least rewrite the output to sound human.
And if you’re applying for a writing role? Skip AI altogether. If you say you’re a writer but send AI work — you’re proving you’re not a writer. You’re a prompt engineer. And that’s a different job.
Links that don’t work are dead weight
We get applications where every link leads to a 404. Or an empty Google Drive. Or private permissions. Or expired Notion docs. If we can’t see your work, we assume there isn’t any. Click every link before you send. View it in an incognito tab. Triple check your sharing settings.
The best applicants treat their portfolio like their product. Accessible. Clear. Clean. Think of it as your storefront — if it’s boarded up, nobody walks in.
Word docs are speed bumps
Sending over a resume or portfolio in a Word file is a drag. We need to download it, open it, sometimes convert it, and only then see your work. Every extra click introduces friction. There are 200 other applications to go through among a tiny team already at capacity. Don’t make our job harder.
Instead, send a direct link to a Google Doc or PDF. Something that opens instantly. The less work you make us do to assess your qualifications, the better.
If you don’t have a LinkedIn profile, you’re invisible
We’re a remote, digital-first agency. We work in public, online. And that means if I can’t find you on LinkedIn, you don’t exist to me. Your online presence is a signal — not just of your credibility, but of your digital literacy.
I want to see how you present yourself. How you talk about your work. Whether you engage with your industry. LinkedIn is the minimum here. If you haven’t bothered, that tells me you might not be serious about the space we work in.
Faking your CV is worse than being underqualified
We’ve seen applicants tweak past job titles to match the role they’re applying for. You were an event manager, but now you’ve added “research analysis” under your old job description. We know what you’re doing — and it doesn’t work.
If your past roles don’t align, own it. Be transparent. Explain the transition. A mismatch isn’t an automatic no — but faking it usually is.
Your resume design shouldn’t need a UX designer to decipher
Too many resumes look like they were built in Canva by someone trying to show off every font and color combo. Keep it clean. One typeface. White space. Easy to scan. If I have to squint to find your experience, you’re making it harder than it needs to be.
We’re not hiring you for your ability to decorate. We’re hiring for clarity. Let your content do the talking.
Details matter more than you think
If your CV says you’re “detail-oriented” but your email has two typos and a broken link, the message doesn’t match the medium. Attention to detail isn’t something you declare. It’s something you prove.
We look at everything: file names, link formatting, how you label your samples, how you write your emails. It all paints a picture. And in a competitive hiring pool, every small thing adds up.
Relevance is everything
We’ve had people apply to research analyst roles and lead with their tailoring business. Or apply to a writing job and only link to visual design work. If your CV is stuffed with unrelated experience, we’ll assume you’re unclear about the role — or worse, applying to everything in sight.
If you’re applying for a writing job, show writing. If it’s a strategy role, show strategy work. The top of your resume should match the job you’re going for. Not your proudest unrelated accomplishment.
What we actually want to see
Here’s the part where people ask: so what does a good application look like?
It’s simple:
You’re actually qualified. Your email is short and clear. Your links work. Your writing is strong and human. Your CV is focused on the role you want — not the one you had. Your LinkedIn is up to date. And you don’t pretend to be someone you’re not.
If you want to go the extra mile, send a short message on LinkedIn after you apply. Just say you’ve submitted and you’re excited about the role. No pitch. No essay. It helps keep you top of mind. But it doesn’t replace the application — that still goes through email.
And if you really want to stand out? Ask a good question. Most applicants talk about themselves. You’ll stand out by showing curiosity about the work. Reference something we’ve published. Ask about the goals behind the role. It shows you’ve done your homework — and care about the impact, not just the title.
The 5% difference
Hiring isn’t a guessing game. But too many people treat it like one. They throw everything at the wall and hope something sticks.
You don’t need to be perfect, but you do need to be clear, competent, and aligned with what we’re actually hiring for. That alone puts you ahead of 95% of applicants.
The rest is just execution.
If you’re applying for jobs right now, give yourself the best chance by treating your application like a product. Build it, test it, and ship it with intention. Because the way you apply tells us a lot about how you’ll work.
And if you’ve read this far, you probably care enough to get it right.
Mo is the founder and CEO of Column Content, a thought leadership content agency that helps leaders get seen. Connect with him on LinkedIn.
