How many jobs do you usually apply for...?

[Mogura]

How many jobs do you usually apply for when you are conducting a job search? What is your "ROI" on your search efforts?

I have been looking for "better opportunities" for the past two years now. Up until the end of last year I was sending out "focused" applications with resumes tailored for specific jobs that seemed interesting to me and that I would be qualified for. I would say, on average, I was applying for one job per week. Nothing "fruitful" came of it. A few interviews with companies and even more meetings with recruiters, but no solid offers on positions I would be suitable for.

So, I've boosted my "productivity" and I've been applying for jobs at the rate of approximately 20 per day. That's a pretty high number (to me), and as such, I've been applying for jobs that I'm fully qualified for, but not too interested in for one reason or another (I'm banking on the "crappy job at a good company might not be so bad" approach).

I've been doing this for the past 2 months, but nothing. By "nothing" I really mean nothing, save for the occasional bullshit runaround I get from recruiters (e.g., "Oh, wow. Your background is great. I'm going to share your profile with some prospective employers and get back to you straight away", followed up with some sort of disappearance from the face of the earth).

So, am I shooting low in terms of application numbers? Should I be applying for more than 20 jobs per day? What is the ideal rate? 50 per day?

*sigh* I miss the good 'ole days when companies advertised positions, and you applied for them in a straightforward process. Recruiters, used car salesmen for human chattel, only serve to complicate the process...

[Traverser]

Since I work part-time as a freelance ghostwriter, I try not to put in more than a few hours a day job hunting. That means 1 or 2 applications a day, if any, that I feel I'm qualified for. Sad to say, most jobs in my area are of the service variety, and are no better than my part-time retail position.

I seriously think we're living in a time where starting your own unique business is far less risky than the standard job hunt. Think of the wasted hours you put in to send hundreds of resumes toward people you don't know, when you could had been brainstorming and implimenting a viable business plan. It's still a lot of work, but at least it's work you can make for yourself, as opposed to begging for someone to give it to you.

[Undead Bonzi]

Here are my estimated numbers for unemployment/employment job search in the last year since I graduated with my masters:

% of replies / job offers to applications filled out on company website: 0% reply

% of replies / job offers to emailed resumes in response to advertised openings (newspaper/internet/ect): 3-5% reply / 1% underemployment job offer

% of replies to called in inquireres (places whose ad said 'call to apply/learn more'. Usually small businesses without an HR dept) 25% reply / 50% interview / 10% offers

% of replies to in-person meetings (places with jobs listed where I simply walked in with my resume rather than sending an e-mail) 75% reply / 50% job offers

The simple lesson is that when you e-mail or digitally submit a resume it may be easy to do a lot of them every day but your resume ends up being one in a pool of one hundred plus and unless you know the magic phrases the HR people are searching for in the initial 'weed-out' you are very very unlikely to ever get a positive response in our current economy. What I learned was that the one job you were well qualified for and could actually talk to a person on the phone or in person about was worth a nearly unlimited number of e-mail applications. Save your time for that one application a week where you can actually talk to some one, for the rest of it you might as well be masturbating.

[Monte314]

I've never had an interview that did not result in an offer.

I interveiwed for jobs right out of graduate school, but every job I've taken since then has been a result of the company approaching me, not the other way around.

[Warrior]

I have also always been offered every job I interviewed for. Unfortunately, most of the companies didn't interview well with me, so I declined most of them. Over the last 10 years I have probably interviewed with 7 companies, not including internal interviews within my existing company. Some of those I applied for, some the company approached me.

[Causa Mortis]

I'm about .700 in terms of interviews.

Random resume blasting is a waste of time unless you're uber-qualified in a niche.

[Mogura]

Well, I kinda suck at what I do, and developing a network of contacts usually involves going out and getting hammered or being forever knocked back with "busy with work" excuses (which is probably true). My only option, really, is to shotgun resumes. I do see the futility of doing so, but if any of you have any realistic options I'm listening...

[zippikay]

about one each day for me... in the end it will be numbers game, i just don't want to over-analyze thing for this one, its depressing enough as it is
although I am musing some thoughts about having some people who are also looking to recommend each other at linkedin account, that way it may boost credentials

[Undead Bonzi]

about one each day for me... in the end it will be numbers game, i just don't want to over-analyze thing for this one, its depressing enough as it is
although I am musing some thoughts about having some people who are also looking to recommend each other at linkedin account, that way it may boost credentials

Actually its not a numbers game. Most companies have HR people that insta-weedout the resumes that are being played as a 'numbers game'.

Now, since everyone who needed an ego boost for the week has already uselessly boasted about how they get every job they have ever applied for without elaborating how or why...I will reinterate one of my points. You've got to talk to someone in these places you are applying. If you want the job bad enough you've got to make personal contact so you stand out. This doesn't have to be 'make a friend on the inside', it can be as simple as handing your resume to the HR person and having a thirty second chat. Even a phone call will make you stand out. It's too easy now to just shotgun resumes. Everyone is doing it and you can bet their most of those emails get deleted without even being read. I played the numbers game and came up with bupkiss. 0% is 0% no matter how many times you spin the wheel.

[Mogura]

So, are job search websites just fluff? If they didn't work (via their facilitating of shotgunning applications), why are they so ubiquitious and mainstream?

[Undead Bonzi]

They are a good source to find openings. They are a poor avenue to apply through. They are so common because they are easy and popular, not because they are effective. It's the same reason diet pills exist when exercise and proper diet have always been the answer to fitness.

[Fox]

58 jobs since I've been required to keep track for unemployment insurance. I estimate I might have applied to about 100. Scored only 10 interviews. No offers yet.

[Muse]

In my trade most places are not even accepting resumes around here. Self employed and it has been going well.

[VF1J]

In my trade most places are not even accepting resumes around here. Self employed and it has been going well.

What's your business?

[zippikay]

Actually its not a numbers game. Most companies have HR people that insta-weedout the resumes that are being played as a 'numbers game'.

Now, since everyone who needed an ego boost for the week has already uselessly boasted about how they get every job they have ever applied for without elaborating how or why...I will reinterate one of my points. You've got to talk to someone in these places you are applying. If you want the job bad enough you've got to make personal contact so you stand out. This doesn't have to be 'make a friend on the inside', it can be as simple as handing your resume to the HR person and having a thirty second chat. Even a phone call will make you stand out. It's too easy now to just shotgun resumes. Everyone is doing it and you can bet their most of those emails get deleted without even being read. I played the numbers game and came up with bupkiss. 0% is 0% no matter how many times you spin the wheel.

I have been reading about how people suggest to call before I submit my resume to have more attention... I guess I can start implementing it if I can get the contact or I just call to have me directed to HR department, then so that I have a name... Most of the time, job posting has no contact name so I assume that it will be rude to just hound down an HR person but like you said if I want the job then whatever it takes will be good...

by thirty second chat, does it need to include small talk or a straightforward follow up reiterating the interest is sufficient?

[psychosylocibin]

I have learned not to apply for as many jobs as possible, but too apply proactively too as many jobs as possible.

For example,

First I network through coworkers/friends to find jobs
Then I contact recruiters (who find jobs for me)
Then I cold apply online.

[Hydro]

Have you thought of the possibility that those people interviewing you have sensed that you had applied just to get away from your current job and not because you wanted to get especially the job they have offered?

You would be amazed how easy it is to figure the real motivation of an applicant out when you interview him/her! Almost all applicants I have interviewed so far had no clue what was going on and why I asked such "trivial" questions... But usually after 20 minutes I know it all!

[Mogura]

Have you thought of the possibility that those people interviewing you have sensed that you had applied just to get away from your current job and not because you wanted to get especially the job they have offered?

You would be amazed how easy it is to figure the real motivation of an applicant out when you interview him/her! Almost all applicants I have interviewed so far had no clue what was going on and why I asked such "trivial" questions... But usually after 20 minutes I know it all!
Wow, you are indeed psychic. I would have never considered that the reason people apply for jobs is that they wish to get away from their current ones...

---------- Post added 05-28-2011 at 05:06 PM ----------

I have been reading about how people suggest to call before I submit my resume to have more attention... I guess I can start implementing it if I can get the contact or I just call to have me directed to HR department, then so that I have a name... Most of the time, job posting has no contact name so I assume that it will be rude to just hound down an HR person but like you said if I want the job then whatever it takes will be good...
It's been my experience that hiring managers/HR staff get very annoyed when you call them about job applications (a lot of job adverts explicitly state "no phone inquiries please"). If you're applying for a job in sales, then perhaps your "hustling" will be viewed in a positive light. But for the most part, they're annoyed...

[foroneonly]

I sent out about 25 applications and has about a 10-20% response rate. And relatively speaking my profession is now just demand=supply with regards to positions and applicants. All of those responses also were from places I had some sort of connection with even if it was small.

[Traverser]

Although I work part-time as a freelancer, I must admit that it is quite difficult. In the line of work I'm in, I have zero contact with the outside world beyond email. Even though i can put as much work into it as I want to without much consequence, the truth is that I really have to pour considerable effort every day in order to market myself more efficiently through this means. That means less time meeting people outside of home in order to grow my business. It really is a major sacrifice.