Part Three - Applying
Part Three - Applying
Hello and welcome to part three of my four-week series on navigating a job search in 2025. If you missed Part Two – Creating your materials, you can find it here.
This week we’re focusing on two big questions: what to apply for and how to apply. As always, my perspective comes from years of work in nonprofit leadership searches and career coaching—but my hope is that there’s something here for anyone navigating today’s job market.
What to Apply For
Have you noticed this language popping up more often in job postings? “We realize that no one will meet all the qualifications listed — if you’re excited about this role but don’t check every box, we still encourage you to apply.” This shift is largely in response to research showing that women and people of color are more likely to self-select when they don’t meet every listed requirement. The truth is, no one checks every single box. Most roles rely on a mix of hard skills, competencies, and growth areas.
I like to think about it through the 70/20/10 rule:
70% – well-developed. These are the skills where you shine—your expertise, your proven strengths, the best use of you.
20% – developing. You’ve had some exposure here, and you’re eager to grow further.
10% – underdeveloped. You may have little direct experience, but you understand the concepts, have worked alongside others in this area, and recognize that your skills will translate.
Use AI as a Reality Check. AI resume screeners—and even some human reviewers—score applications against required criteria to ensure that every candidate is being treated equitably. You should be doing the same before applying.
Feed the job posting into your AI tool of choice and ask it to build a skills/experience rubric.
Then feed in your résumé and ask it to score against the rubric.
Try: “Do I meet at least 70% of the requirements for this role?”
If you land under 70%, pause. Talk it through with someone who knows your work well. Don’t put yourself through endless applications for roles you simply aren’t qualified to do and or be successful in—especially when many applicants scoring 80%+ will be applying.
That said, if you score in the 60–70% range but bring something special—like being an alum, having deep ties to the community, or lived experience that aligns closely with the organization’s mission—highlight that in your cover letter. Those intangibles can make a difference, even if AI can’t see them.
Do Your Homework
If you’re applying for a senior-level role—or through a search firm—research is non-negotiable. Dive deep into:
The organization’s website and social media
Annual reports, 990s, or other public documents
The broader context they’re operating in
Then, go further:
Reach out to connections who’ve worked with the organization
Consider who might nominate you if the search firm accepts nominations
Use LinkedIn to explore mutual connections—then actually use them
If this is the job of your dreams and you’re scoring 85% or higher, it may even be worth investing in a coach to review your materials specifically against the posting.
How to Apply
Let’s talk logistics.
Job boards
Let’s be real: job portals are the soul-sucking cousins of customer service phone lines. My advice? Only put yourself through the upload-and-retype marathon if you’re at least 80% qualified. If possible, apply directly through the organization’s website rather than a generic job board, or both. If the posting requires a cover letter and the portal doesn’t let you attach one (rage!), look for another way—through the organization’s site, or by email.
Email applications
If you’re applying by email—whether directly to the organization or through a search firm—here are my must-dos:
Subject line: include your name + the role (e.g., Norris – Résumé – Director of Education).
Attach as PDFs, labeled clearly. See bullet above.
Always include a short message in the body of the email. Something as simple as:
“Hello, my name is ___. Please find attached my résumé and cover letter for the role of ___. Thank you for reviewing my materials, and I hope to hear from you if my skills and experiences align with what you’re seeking.”Don’t put your cover letter in the email body if a document was requested.
Don’t send extras (references, samples, portfolios) unless asked—screeners need to compare apples to apples and don't have time at this stage in the process to read and or sort them. They’ll ask for them later in the process if needed.
If you receive a reply from a human (not just an auto-response), acknowledge them personally. This matters.
And please, no “Dear Sir.” Ever. (Yes, this happened to me twice this year).
Once you’re in the process and communicating with a search consultant or hiring manager, treat every email as part of the interview process. Respond promptly, use salutations, keep your tone conversational yet professional. Let them start to get to know you. For example, if I send a personal email offering a first-round interview along with a scheduling link, and a candidate books a time but doesn’t reply to my message, that’s a missed opportunity to build rapport with someone who plays a key role in the search process.
Closing
As always, I could write much more, but blogs aren’t books—and these are already long enough! If you want a deeper dive, you know where to find me. See you next week for the final installment: Interviewing. (Gulp)