When applying for jobs there’s one thing you may be doing that you may not be aware of that is hurting your chances of getting an interview, let alone even getting hired.

So here’s the scenario. You’re applying for jobs online and there’s an organization you’re really interested in working for and low and behold there’s a posting for a role that’s exactly what you’re looking for.

As you keep looking you see there are multiple postings at the same organization. Perfect! You figure, you know what, I’ll give myself the best chance to get hired by this company and apply for all of them.

But hold on. This is actually a mistake in many cases. Multiple applications to the same organization may actually be hurting your chances, by diluting and cheapening your potential value proposition.

Almost every organization has what is called an Applicant Tracking System, or ATS.

Applicant Tracking Systems are tools companies use to track and log applications and candidates throughout the recruiting process. Simply put, they know all the jobs you applied for and when you applied.

So if you’ve applied to three to four, or even more jobs with one organization, I’ve seen it happen before, you’re actually hurting your chances because the recruiter on the other end, looking at all your applications is wondering if you really want to work for that company or are you just looking for a job, any job.

So what should you do instead to give yourself the shot?

Apply online to the one role you really want and use your cover letter to address your unique selling proposition. You can outline how your skills and knowledge could apply to multiple roles. This shows you’re interested in working for the organization rather than just desperately applying for any job you see.

Another key thing people often overlook when looking for a job is making inroads with someone at the organization you wish to work for. Only sending out resumes to online job postings can be long and frustrating process, and you can greatly increase your chances of getting hired by getting out there and making people connections instead of job applications.

Job search is a contact sport, and if someone at a company knows you, could vouch for you, put a face to your name, you will be miles ahead of your competition.