Former recruiter: Stop customizing résumés, skip LinkedIn noise

Cover letters drew a similar verdict. Durham said most recruiters do not read them. When they do, a generic template is worse than none. A short, specific note in the application's "additional information" field – one or two sentences tying the applicant's experience to the role – beats a full cover letter every time.

Interview preparation, by contrast, deserves real time. Durham said candidates who cannot articulate their own resume – what each role involved, what they accomplished, why they left – lose the room immediately. The best preparation is a structured walk-through of each position, with concrete numbers where possible.

Follow-up emails after interviews matter, only within a narrow window. Durham said a thank-you note sent within 24 hours is standard. Anything beyond that – follow-ups every few days, multiple touches, attempts to "stay top of mind" – backfires. Recruiters remember the candidate who would not stop emailing.

Salary negotiation, she said, is the one area where most candidates leave money on the table. Durham advised always asking for the top of the posted range, or slightly above, with a brief justification tied to experience. Silence from the other side does not mean rejection; it means the request is being considered.

The broader takeaway from Durham's framework is that job searching is a signal game. Every action either strengthens or weakens the candidate's signal. Customizing résumés, overposting on LinkedIn, and sending cold messages all weaken it. Researching the role, preparing for the interview, and negotiating with confidence strengthen it.

Durham's own career path – from recruiter to content creator to author – reinforces the point. She did not follow a template. She found the signal that worked for her and amplified it.