Apply Less and Get More Interviews

The Job Search is Not a Numbers Game

If you have ADHD, I want you to stop what you're doing. Stop refreshing that job board. Stop feeling discouraged by all the applications you’ve sent out. Stop trying to keep up with a broken system that was never designed for your unique brain in the first place.

Over the past 15 years as an ADHD Career Coach, I've seen countless brilliant, talented people who are making a single, critical mistake in their job search. It's a mistake that not only slows down their progress but also drains their confidence and saps all their motivation. This mistake is so ingrained in our culture that it feels like common sense. But it's a lie—and it’s time to call it out.

In this article, we’re going to expose the "Spray and Pray" method for what it really is: the most ineffective, soul-crushing way to find a job. More importantly, I’m going to share with you the most effective approach to getting more interviews without wasting your time or effort. This strategy, which I call the "Biathlon Method," will help you finally land a job you don't just tolerate, but one that you actually love.

The Lie We All Believe: "The Job Search is Just a Numbers Game"

This is a lie that’s built on good intentions. You’ve probably heard it from well-meaning parents, friends, or even some career counselors: "Just apply to everything!" or "The more applications you send out, the higher your chances." On the surface, it seems logical, right? If you throw enough darts at the board, one of them is bound to stick.

But this isn't darts. This is a trap, and it’s particularly devastating for the ADHD brain.

Here’s how it usually plays out. You know you need a change, but the idea of a job search feels overwhelming. You have some vague ideas about what you’re interested in, but the thought of organizing it all seems impossible. So, you do the most logical thing: you open a job board like LinkedIn or Indeed. And you start to "doom scroll."

You scroll past dozens of postings, looking for anything that seems vaguely appealing. You find a few that you think you might qualify for, and you feel that little dopamine hit. Ah, finally, a hit of forward momentum! You "zip off" a resume—or ten—and you feel a momentary sense of accomplishment. You’ve done something! You're making progress!

But as the weeks and months go by, the emails from recruiters don’t come. The responses are non-existent. You're left feeling more lost, more discouraged, and more hopeless than you were when you started. You start to question your skills, your worth, and your career path. To fight this feeling, you double down on the numbers game. You promise yourself, "I'll apply to 10 jobs a week." You tell yourself, "It's not me, it's the bad job market." But deep down, you know something isn't working.

This isn't about a broken job market; it's about a broken strategy.

The Truth: The Old Way is Broken Beyond Repair

The "spray and pray" method operates on the assumption that employers are sitting around, carefully reviewing every single resume that comes in. This couldn't be further from the truth.

The reality is that for every single job posting, there are, on average, over 250 applicants. A single hiring manager is completely overwhelmed by this volume. They don’t have time to read your life story; they’re just looking for an excuse to filter you out. Studies have shown that a recruiter will only spend about 6 to 8 seconds reviewing your resume before making a decision. That’s less time than it takes to read this sentence.

To make things even more difficult, most large companies use AI-powered Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). These are digital gatekeepers that scan your resume for keywords and filter out anyone who doesn’t perfectly match their criteria. If you just "zip off" a generic resume, the ATS will simply toss your application in the trash before a human ever even sees it. It’s the digital equivalent of an empty promise.

When you send out hundreds of generic resumes, you are literally becoming a faceless number. You're just one more application in a faceless crowd. It's a game of chance, and the odds are stacked against you.

The Biathlon Strategy: Your Path to a New Way of Working

This is where we need to learn from a different kind of athlete: the biathlete. A biathlete doesn't just ski as fast as they can, hoping they'll get to the finish line first. And they certainly don't stand at the shooting range and fire randomly at every target. Instead, they ski with purpose and strategy, conserving energy and thinking about the course ahead. Then, at the most critical moment—at the shooting range—they stop, get centered, focus with extreme precision, and take a deliberate, aimed shot.

This is the exact approach my clients and I use in the job search. We swap out the "spray and pray" method for a strategic, targeted approach—the most effective methodology available for finding a job.

This strategy works because it's based on a simple truth: employers are overwhelmed and not great at hiring. They have a problem they need to solve, and your job is to present yourself as the clear, obvious solution.

This is the key to bypassing the faceless crowd. You're no longer playing a numbers game. You're playing a strategy game. By being targeted and empathetic, you stand out from the noisy chaos. You have to be dialed in, but you also have to be nimble, fluid, and fast.

The 3 Steps to Mastering Your Job Search

This isn't about working harder; it's about working smarter. It’s about building a system that leverages your ADHD strengths—your hyperfocus, your passion, and your ability to see connections others might miss.

Here are the three steps we follow:

Step 1: Define Your Targets

The first step is to define your targets. This isn't just about finding a company you'd "like" to work for. This is about identifying a specific Plan A, a Plan B, and a Plan C. These are not just dream companies, but a group of specific employers that you have in mind—and even specific people within those companies who have the power and authority to hire you.

This also means defining your criteria. What does your dream job actually look like? Is it a specific job title, a field, a location, or maybe even a company culture you want to be a part of? We focus on these details first because without a target, you're just wandering in the dark.

This is critical for an ADHD brain. Instead of being overwhelmed by the thousands of options on a job board, you now have a clear, manageable focus. You know exactly what you're looking for, which makes every subsequent step more efficient.

Step 2: Aim and Tailor

With your targets defined, you can now focus all your energy. When you find a position that matches your criteria, you don’t just hit "apply." You take a moment to aim. You fully hyperfocus on that one shot.

This is where the magic happens. You’ll spend some time doing a bit of quick research on the company and, most importantly, reverse engineering the job description. This means you read between the lines to understand the employer's exact pain points and needs. Then, you tailor your resume and cover letter 100% to that specific position.

You're no longer just listing your experience; you're showing them how your experience solves their problem. You aren't just a number; you are a clear, obvious solution. This level of focus and personalization is the single most effective way to bypass the ATS and get a real person to notice you.

Step 3: Be Nimble and Fluid

Once you've aimed, you fire and move on. You don't get emotionally attached to the outcome of one single application. You quickly dial in, tailor, and submit your application for one of your targets, then you immediately move on to the next one. This prevents the cycle of discouragement that comes from waiting for a response that may never arrive.

This process allows you to get in front of real human beings and have actual conversations. By being strategic, you'll be leveraging your networking efforts more effectively, because now you know exactly where to put them. You’re not wasting time on jobs that are a bad fit. You're building momentum with every application and every conversation you have.

The Payoff: Reclaiming Control of Your Career

This strategy may feel slower at first, but it is exponentially more effective. It will reduce overwhelm, eliminate pointless effort, and get you more interviews for jobs you actually want. You go from feeling helpless and defeated to feeling empowered and in control of your career.

The biathlon strategy isn’t just about finding a job—it’s about building a career that truly works for you. It's about designing a life that celebrates your strengths rather than punishing your weaknesses.

But I know this can sound daunting. How do you find your targets? How do you tailor a resume to a job description? And how do you build a system you can actually stick with? This is exactly what I help my clients with.

If you're ready to stop the "spray and pray" cycle for good and need a comprehensive system, I have two signature coaching programs designed for this exact process. The ADHD Career Change is for you if you feel lost and don't know what career path is right for your ADHD brain. The Job Search Accelerator is for you if you know what you want but need the systems and accountability to land a job quickly and efficiently, without the overwhelm.

You can learn more about both programs and see which one is the right fit for you by visiting my website: LifeSketch.co. The link is in the description.

Remember, stop spraying and praying. Get clear on your target, take careful aim, and fire with precision. Your dream job isn't out there hiding; it's waiting for you to build a path toward it. And you don’t have to do it alone.