Applying for multiple jobs with the same employer may not be a good idea

Applying for multiple jobs with the same employer may notlage be a good ideaApplying for multiple jobs with the same employer may not be a good ideaTo apply to more than one position at a company, or apply to just one?Of course, youll have to consider the factors that make your circumstances unique, but heres why you should consider sticking to only sending in one application.You might not look like the right fit for the companyAlison Green, author of the Ask a Manager blog, answered a readers questions in U.S. News World Report about applying for two positions at the same company. The reader thinks they might not meet the qualifications for one job, even though thats what they studied, and they have done work similar to the other position, but think they might be up against grueling competition in this economy.Green writes that you can apply for both, but you need to be careful about how you do it.The danger in applying for multiple jobs at the same organization is that you can com e across as unfocused or naive about what youre well suited for. Heres an example Im currently hiring for a wide range of positions - and I mean a wide range - everything from an executive assistant to the director of an entire state organization, with lots of variety in between, like a job working with celebrities, a job working with college kids, and so forth, Green adds. Ive had applicants say theyre applying for the director job and the executive assistant job (hedging their bets, I guess), as well as applicants who just say, Consider me for all your openings. Green continues, writing that the positions require varying credentials and responsibilities, before delving into more reasons why this isnt always the right approach.Multiple resume submissions can be a turnoffAlison Doyle, a career expert, author, founder and CEO of CareerToolBelt.com, writes tips about applying to more than one position at an employer - but also mentions the caveats - in The Balance.After mentioning that you should apply only if you are a strong candidate for all the positions and how you have to consider the size of the employer, she writes that most importantly, even if youre applying for multiple positions at a company, try to limit yourself and be realistic. Applying to two or three positions you qualify for is acceptable, but submitting yourresumefor every single position listed can be a turnoff.Some peoplerecommend applying to one job at a time and, if you dont hear back and some time has passed, applying for another position later. However, theres a chance that the jobs may be gone by the time youre ready to apply again. Youll have to weigh the risks, Doyle writes.Be sure you know what you wantRichard Moy, a Content Marketing Writer at Stack Overflow, writes in The Muse about why you shouldnt apply to a bunch of jobs if youre still unsure of what you want.Theres only so much that you can learn from constantly applying for every single thing you see posted online, especi ally when youre doing so at the same company. The solution to this is relatively simple - even though it might not produce immediate results Lean on your network for help.Set up informational interviews with people in industries that youre currently interested in. Ask your former bosses and colleagues what you excelled at and what kind of role they can see you excelling in, Moy writes.