How many job applications should you send before you can expect to land an interview?

Answer:

47.8%, vs. 72.0% for those who sent 100+. But 8.0% of applications from the 11 to 20 group got interviews, vs. 2.4%.

Questions:

• Would you rather send 15 carefully tailored job applications or 100 quick ones? Why?
• Is it worth applying for a job you are only somewhat qualified for, or is it a waste of time?
• How many rejections could you handle before you changed how you look for a job?

Click here for the ready-to-go slides for this Question of the Day that you can use in your classroom.

Behind the Numbers: (Huntr)

Huntr’s job search report draws on “84,753 applications” logged by job seekers in its job tracker. Job seekers who applied more often were more likely to land at least one interview: “72.0%, against 47.8% of users with 11 to 20 applications.” Each application was less likely to work, though: “Users who logged 11 to 20 applications … got interviews on 8.0% of them,” while “Users who logged more than 100 got interviews on 2.4%.”

About the Author

Dave Martin

Dave joins NGPF with 15 years of teaching experience in math and computer science. After joining the New York City Teaching Fellows program and earning a Master's degree in Education from Pace University, his teaching career has taken him to New York, New Jersey and a summer in the north of Ghana. Dave firmly believes that financial literacy is vital to creating well-rounded students that are prepared for a complex and highly competitive world. During what free time two young daughters will allow, Dave enjoys video games, Dungeons & Dragons, cooking, gardening, and taking naps.

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