As you explore new career opportunities, you come across some jobs that pique your interest — even a few different ones at the same company. If all of them seem like they’d be a good fit for you, how are you supposed to pick which one to apply for? Can you apply for all of them?
The short answer is it depends…
There’s a right way and a wrong way to apply for multiple jobs within an organization. After hiring people for nearly 70 years here at Anderson Trucking Service (ATS), we’ve developed a good understanding of the right approach to take if you’re interested in more than one job with a company.
In this article, you’ll learn whether or not you should apply for more than one job at a single company, along with the right approach to take if you’re interested in multiple jobs at the same place.
Can I Apply for More Than One Job at a Company?
If you’re job-seeking and notice multiple options at the same company, go ahead and apply for more than one — on one condition. It’s fine to apply for multiple jobs if they actually make sense given your education and experience.
For example, if you have experience in retail, customer service or hospitality and you’re looking for a change, applying for a sales position and a customer service position at the same time is perfectly fine.
However, if your background is in a trade industry and you apply for sales, administrator and social media positions, you might raise some questions from the recruiting team. And, unfortunately, those questions may lead to you not moving beyond the application stage.
What If I Want to Try Something in a Different Field?
If you’re in a position you no longer want to spend the rest of your career in, don’t lose hope. You can find your way into a new industry — and apply for multiple positions — without getting stuck in the application stage.
Explain Your Intentions
If your background and your ideal career don’t align, explain why in your cover letter or in the objective section of your resume. You’ll increase the chances of getting past the person sifting through resumes if you do.
If you apply for jobs using websites like Indeed or LinkedIn, you can be limited in the types of documents you can include in your application. However, if you apply through the website of the company you’re applying for, you can, generally, include any type of document you’d like. If you have documentation that can highlight any related experience to the position you’re applying for — despite your background — you should include it.
Remember that example of the person coming from a trade industry earlier? That was a real example we’ve seen here. It turns out the person suffered an injury that won’t allow them to work in their field anymore, so they’re exploring something else that’ll let them to continue working.
Without that knowledge, the recruiter may have just thought they were someone who threw darts at the job board and applied for whatever they hit.
Apply for Similar Jobs
If you truly don’t know what type of work you want to do going forward, apply for the jobs that sound interesting and make sure to include the reason why in your cover letter or objective section.
However, if you have an idea of the type of work you’d like to pursue, make sure to apply for jobs that are related to each other. Working in fleet maintenance, for example, is not like working in sales. Customer service, however, is somewhat related to sales.
Applying for both sales and service roles is perfectly fine to do. If you don’t have a lot of experience in either of those areas, it’s a good idea to include the experience you do have on your resume and explain your intentions somewhere on your application.
Related: Top 10 Highly-Transferrable Job Skills Employers Look For
Align Your Resume and Experience
Your main goals anytime you apply for a job are to get your resume looked at and to receive an opportunity to get on the phone with a company representative. If you apply for a job that isn’t related to your experience, your chances of getting that opportunity diminish. The same goes if you apply for multiple jobs that aren’t related.
That said, if you’re looking for a change of pace, it’s important to align your resume and experience with the position(s) you’re applying for — as best as you possibly can. Try to pick the skills from your past jobs that align best with the position(s) you’re applying for to add to your resume.
Make sure to read the job description well so you understand if your skills align at all. You also need to pay attention to the skills the employer is requiring versus the ones they’d prefer to see, but aren’t required.
Related: How to Write a Great Resume: 8 Key Components
Let the Recruiters Do Their Job
Another option we haven’t discussed yet involves applying for one job within an organization. But what if there’s another position that interests you? Good recruiters will review your skillset and keep you in mind for other positions they think you’d be a good fit for.
That said, it doesn’t hurt to let them know if you have any interest in a different position. They can be a good resource to let you know whether or not, given your experience, it makes sense to bring you through the interview process for something else.
Get Your Resume Reviewed — Even If You Apply for Multiple Jobs
There comes a time in many people’s lives when they determine the job they’ve spent their entire career doing isn’t a good fit anymore. Whether that’s because of an injury or simply a change of heart, you may reach a point where you’re seeking a job that isn’t a natural next step, given your experience.
If you’re struggling to determine what type of career to pursue next, you might be considering applying for multiple jobs within the same company — and that’s okay. As long as you do it right.
If you go that route, make sure to explain your intentions in your cover letter, the objective section of your resume or somewhere else in the application process. If you have a certain type of work in mind that you’d like to pursue, make sure to apply for jobs that are similar to each other — as opposed to jobs that are all over the spectrum. Finally, make sure to align your resume and experience as much as you possibly can.
Another option to consider is applying for one of the jobs you’re interested in and letting the recruiter do their job. That means they may review your application and resume and determine you’re a better fit for something else within the organization. It doesn’t hurt to let them know if you’re interested in other jobs either.
It’s okay to want a change of pace in your career and it’s okay to apply for multiple jobs within a company to accomplish that goal — as long as you do it right.
Related: 4 Next Steps if You Don't Get the Job You Initially Applied For
Are You Looking for a Change of Pace?
If you’re ready to move on from the career you’re currently in, consider one of the many opportunities available here at ATS. Several require little or no experience and come with plenty of training to get you off to a good start.
Related: What Career Backgrounds Have Perfect Skills for the Logistics Industry?
If you’re interested in pursuing a career with ATS, we’d love to get in touch. Otherwise, feel free to take a stroll through our current openings.
