Don’t apply to a role just 'because the title sounds cool,' C-suite exec warns young job-seekers

Chidi Achara has worked at some enterprising companies, including investment app Stash and Nike. He's currently the global chief product officer at design and tech company Huge.

In his years working in leadership, Achara interviewed many job candidates. Among his green flags is potential chemistry with his team. "Do they have a sense of humor?" he told CNBC Make It at Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies Gala and Summit. "Do they have storytelling ability" so they can communicate clearly?

When it comes to red flags, he's noticed one pattern some young jobseekers fall into: applying when they have "no experience that matches the job," he said.

Here's why and how they can troubleshoot.

Young people are eager to get hired — especially in this tough job market.

But a lot of young people new to the job market "take a scattergun approach to job application," he said, "and they're just applying for a bunch of stuff because the title sounds cool, or they like the comp, or they like the location."

That is ultimately not a winning approach. Hiring managers can very quickly see those people are not qualified. And if Achara sees a candidate simply doesn't have the experience he needs to move forward with the interview, "I'm probably going to move on to the next," he said.

Achara does not want to rule out suitable candidates who have not worked in the exact position he's hiring for but who still have some relevant experience. Recent grads might not have full-time experience but still have internships, clubs and side hustles under their belt.

Say you're applying for a web developer or an engineering job and you've never worked full-time in either but on the side, you've built an app, he said. "[You] published it in the app store and [you] got 5,000 people using it." Include that in your resume. Tailor your material so it shows you have the results needed to succeed in the job.

"Immediately, you'll take that person more seriously," Achara says of the hiring team.

But, if you see a job you're interested in and you simply don't have the background — whether that be on-the-job experience or outside of it, think twice about sending in your material. Young jobseekers in particular "should be more discerning about what they apply for," he said.

If "they're just applying because they think it sounds like a cool job, then it's probably not going to work."

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