How to not suck at job applications

We recently posted two freelance roles.

Not vague “send us your stuff” roles.
Specific roles, with specific requirements.
We even gave people the exact subject line to use so filtering would be painless.

A few days later, we had 100+ applications.

And the pattern was loud.

Most people did not follow the instructions.
Some “kind of” followed them.
Some wrote paragraphs that carefully avoided the one thing we asked for.
Several sent the wrong subject line and attached 12 links, 3 folders, and a Google Drive folder that required access.

Then those same types of people go online and post:

“Companies never reply.”
“Recruiters ghost you.”
“The job market is broken.”

Sometimes that’s true.

But also, sometimes you just make the reviewer’s life harder in the first 6 seconds. And you did it voluntarily.

When someone is sorting through hundreds of applications, they are not looking for reasons to engage. They are looking for reasons to filter.

If you cannot follow basic instructions on the application, the reviewer automatically files you under:

• “Hard to work with”
• “Creates extra admin”
• “Doesn’t pay attention”
• “Will need babysitting”

That is your first impression. Not your CV. Not your portfolio. Not your potential.

Your ability to read and execute.

And if 10 people did it right, and you did it wrong, why would you expect special treatment?

You are not competing against “the market”.
You are competing against the person who followed the instructions perfectly.

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Two uncomfortable truths

1. No reply is often the reply.
   It is not “nice”, but it is reality when the volume is high. If you made yourself difficult to assess, you made yourself easy to ignore.
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2. If you have been applying for months with no offers, something in your approach is broken.
   Yes, the market is tough.
   But after a long enough time, you have to stop blaming the weather and check if you’re the one driving with the handbrake on.

So let’s boil it down to basics.

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1) Follow the instructions. To the letter.

If the role says:

• Subject line must be “Freelance Motion Designer | Name”
• include CV PDF
• include portfolio link
• include availability and rate

Then do exactly that. Nothing more. Nothing less.

This is not “being robotic”.
This demonstrates that you can operate in a system.

Side note: stop spamming links.

Twelve links is not “showing initiative”.
It is outsourcing your sorting to the person who already has 99 other applications open.

Your goal is not to prove you have done a lot. Your goal is to make it stupidly easy to evaluate you.

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2) Have a clean CV

Not a design project.
A CV.

• concise
• readable
• relevant
• structured

And please, for the love of clean professional judgement, do not use your Tinder photo.
If you want to stand out, do it with substance, not a smirk and a club background.

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3) Have a portfolio that shows how you think

Pretty pictures are wallpaper.
Case studies are proof.

A good portfolio answers:

• What was the problem?
• What constraints did you have?
• What did you do?
• Why did you choose that approach?
• What changed because of it?

If you can build a simple portfolio website, you instantly jump ahead of most applicants. Not because websites are magic, but because it signals effort, pride, and craft.

No excuse in 2026. Use a template. Customize it. Ship it.
No website yet? Make an interactive deck.

Figma Slides, a clean PDF, a clickable presentation, whatever. Make it easy to navigate and understand. If the reviewer has to go hunting, you have already lost points.

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4) Apply to the company, not the role

This is the big one.

Most applications feel like this:

“Dear Hiring Manager, I need a job. Here is my stuff.”

That might be honest, but it is not persuasive.

Your message should communicate:

“I understand what you do. I understand what you likely struggle with. Here’s how I help.”

It shows you are not just income-hunting. You are problem-solving.

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Example: what NOT to do

Subject: Application

Hi,
I’m applying for the role. I really need an opportunity, and I’m a hard worker. I attached my CV.
Here are my links:
Link 1, Link 2, Link 3, Link 4, Link 5…
Let me know.

Thanks

Why this fails:

• Generic
• Zero proof you read the post
• Zero connection to the company
• Makes the reviewer do work

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Example: what to do instead

Subject: Freelance Motion Designer | Jayden M

Hi Nexubis team,
I saw your post for the freelance motion role. I followed the application requirements below.

What stood out to me about Nexubis is that you ship a lot of brand-led work across different formats, so consistency and speed matter.
In my last contract, the bottleneck was versioning and approvals, so I built a simple motion system (templates, naming conventions, export presets) that cut turnaround time and reduced rework.

If you need someone who can take a brief and deliver without extra hand-holding, that’s exactly how I work.

• Portfolio: [link]
• CV: attached (PDF)
• Availability: 20 hrs/week, can start Monday
• Rate: R450/hour

Thanks,
Jayden

Why this works:

• Shows you can follow instructions
• Shows you understand what the company values
• Gives one concrete example of problem-solving
• Makes evaluation easy

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The mindset shift

Stop treating applications like lottery tickets.

Treat them as if it were your first day on the job.

Because in a way, they are.

If you cannot be bothered to follow the instructions when you are trying to impress someone, the reviewer assumes you will be worse when you are comfortable.

Harsh? Sure. Also accurate.

Respect the person reviewing your application’s time, and you increase the odds they will respect yours.