Why Cold Job Applications Don't Work Anymore with Kendall Berg

Summary

Kendall Berg argues that cold, high-volume job applications have become less effective. AI-assisted applying floods employers with applications, makes candidates’ qualifications harder to assess, and encourages people to pursue roles that may not fit their experience. Her alternative is a more deliberate approach: target roles where your strengths are relevant, make your personality and value visible, and build relationships with hiring decision-makers.

Why cold applications are struggling

• Application volume overwhelms recruiting teams. Berg says recruiters can receive as many as 1,000 applications in an hour, while automated tools can make many applicants appear qualified. That makes it harder to identify genuine fit.
• Mass applying can weaken candidate-role fit. Candidates may target jobs they want rather than roles they are equipped to do or can credibly explain their fit for. This creates mismatches in both screening and interviews.
• Automation can leave candidates unprepared. Applicants may not know which role they applied for, why they want it, or how their experience relates to it. Berg recommends preparing for interviews rather than relying on application volume to produce opportunities.
• People are tired of impersonal technology. Berg’s third reason is that applicants and employers alike may be weary of automated applications and AI-mediated interactions. She recommends creating more human, distinctive contact.

Practical job-search playbook

• Target roles and employers deliberately. Identify the work you are best equipped to do and the organizations that value your particular strengths. Berg’s marketing candidate, for example, targeted firms that valued creative video work rather than more conventional agencies.
• Make your resume sound like you. Berg recommends moving beyond generic, overly polished language when it conceals a candidate’s real strengths. One client replaced a conventional marketing summary with a more personal description of creating engaging videos for Gen Z. The revised resume was paired with networking and was followed by four interviews in the first week.
• Build visibility where hiring happens.
  • Attend industry conferences, networking events, and job fairs where relevant hiring teams are present.
  • Use existing relationships to seek referrals and conversations.
  • If in-person contact is not practical, consider a Zoom conversation or a personalized Loom video—particularly if you are comfortable on camera.
  • Post distinctive thoughts on LinkedIn, comment on relevant articles and recruiters’ posts, and keep your profile current. Berg suggests that even posting once a week and engaging consistently can help build name recognition.
• Show effort and make the interaction human. Berg and Botero emphasize that personalized outreach and in-person conversations can distinguish a candidate from an automated application. The aim is to become recognizable and give a hiring contact a reason to look at your resume.
• Prepare to close the opportunity. Research the company and role, understand why you want the job, and prepare specific examples of your experience. Getting an interview is not enough if you cannot explain your fit.
• Use authentic personality as a differentiator. Berg advises accepting that a distinctive point of view may not appeal to everyone. The goal is not universal approval, but stronger resonance with people and employers that are a good match.

Examples and operating lessons

• Recruiting funnel: Botero cited a 2019 estimate of 250 applications per role on average. Berg recalled receiving 750 applications for an entry-level analyst role at JPMorgan Chase; the hiring manager saw only eight resumes, fewer than 10% of applicants. They say application volumes have since risen, with some employers receiving around 2,000 applications.
• Network-based hiring: Berg said that, on a team she managed, six of seven direct reports had previously worked with her or someone in her network; only one was a cold hire. She uses this to illustrate the value of relationships and referrals.
• Demonstrating capability through work: Botero described a candidate seeking a podcast producer role who created a three-episode podcast about why she wanted to work at a company, including interviews that served as recommendations. The hiring team circulated it internally, and she was hired and stayed for three years. The lesson: create a concrete proof of your ability when experience requirements are a barrier.
• Distinctive outreach: Berg recalled a candidate who sent a resume in a carefully prepared FedEx package. The effort prompted the HR team to speak with the candidate and secure an interview.
• Personal branding: Berg cited a humorous LinkedIn post by a job seeker that received roughly 8,000 likes and drew comments and messages from recruiters. Its humor and personality made the candidate memorable.
• Visibility as a career skill: Berg says recognition, visibility, communication, and executive presence matter for career progression—particularly into upper-middle and senior management—not just producing good work quietly.

Metrics and figures cited

• Up to 1,000 applications in the first hour—Berg’s example of the volume generated by automated applying.
• 250 applications per role on average in 2019—a figure Botero cited from his research for a book.
• 750 applications; eight resumes reviewed—Berg’s 2019 JPMorgan Chase recruiting example.
• Around 2,000 applications—the speakers’ estimate for the volume some employers may now face.
• Four interviews in the first week after a client revised his resume and pursued networking.
• Six of seven direct reports in Berg’s former team had prior work or network connections; one was a cold hire.
• Once-a-week LinkedIn posting is presented as a practical cadence, not a guaranteed outcome.
• Berg characterizes visibility as “80% of the game,” an opinion rather than a measured KPI.

Sources and presenters

• Presenters: Daniel Botero and Kendall Berg.
• Kendall Berg: Founder and CEO of That Career Coach; author of Secrets of the Career Game and host of the Secrets of the Career Game podcast.
• Additional example: Daniel Botero’s account of a former student’s podcast-producer application project.