In the past, how many jobs/day you applied for?

binarysoul · January 2010

If you're actively looking for a job, how many jobs/day you apply for?

I know it really depends on location, availability, etc, but want to get an idea.

I apply for 1-2 jobs which may be very low.

WORD OF WISDOM: Please provide actual realistic numbers. While answers such as, "many", "a lot", "as many as I get" addresses the question, they don't answer it.

Aldur · January 2010

As many as possible?

binarysoul · January 2010

Oh really? Well, I was looking for numbers and not guesses.

Last time I checked revealing how many jobs you applied/day wasn't personal info.

PS. I edited the original question!

dynamik · January 2010

Um, I don't think there's a specific number. I'd do as many as is feasible. I try to tailor my resume and cover letter to the specific position, so I don't think I'd get in more than 3-5 quality submissions a day (if I had nothing else going on).

Super99 · January 2010

When I was a rookie, TONS.
But if i were to look for jobs now, I'd only apply to jobs that interest me......unless it paid well.

mikej412 · January 2010

None. I usually get recommended or suggested for jobs by people I've worked with or worked for in the past.

When the number of calls about jobs started to fall off I became worried that I was getting old and the people I had worked with/for were retiring or dying off in greater numbers

-- but it just turned out that it was the economy dying.

Then the calls started from people I had worked with or worked for in the past asking if I knew of any jobs -- and while the economy still sucks, at least it turns out a lot of my old friends and colleagues are still alive.

L0gicB0mb508 · January 2010

binarysoul wrote: »

Oh really? Well, I was looking for numbers and not guesses.

Last time I checked revealing how many jobs you applied/day wasn't personal info.

PS. I edited the original question!

Couple a day if I found interesting jobs.

RomBUS · January 2010

Right now I apply to about 3 jobs a day

tpatt100 · January 2010

I doubt I could find that many jobs to apply for every day. I think people clog up the HR inbox applying for jobs they are not qualified for.

veritas_libertas · January 2010

mikej412 wrote: »

When the number of calls about jobs started to fall off I became worried that I was getting old and the people I had worked with/for were retiring or dying off in greater numbers -- but it just turned out that it was the economy dying.

Thanks for the laugh Mike, I needed it this morning.

With your kind of experience, and qualifications I don't think you have anything worry about...

Slowhand · January 2010

Right now, I'm really only doing one or two resume-blasts a day, like clockwork, mainly for the sake of the unemployment paperwork I have to do every two weeks. My real searching for suitable work is happening behind the scenes, talking to friends and former co-workers to try to nab something that's going to work with my school-schedule.

Azret · January 2010

I think I am at 2-3 submissions a day, although I am a remote technician it only pays as the jobs come in, which have been really slow lately. The biggest issue I run into is recruiters are the main posters of these jobs, and I am steering very clear of them because I feel like 95% of them are scam artists or just throw crap at the wall and hope it sticks. I unfortunately have a network full of real estate professionals, not IT professionals. Career changing bites.

networker050184 · January 2010

Azret wrote: »

I think I am at 2-3 submissions a day, although I am a remote technician it only pays as the jobs come in, which have been really slow lately. The biggest issue I run into is recruiters are the main posters of these jobs, and I am steering very clear of them because I feel like 95% of them are scam artists or just throw crap at the wall and hope it sticks. I unfortunately have a network full of real estate professionals, not IT professionals. Career changing bites.

I try to steer clear of recruiters too if possible because I feel the same way about them, but they seem to be a necessary evil when job searching. If you are looking for something new I'd suggest you hit up some local or even national recruiting agencies to see what they have.

To answer the OP, I think it varies too much by location to get any kind of useful data. You can only really apply to the number available jobs and that is location dependent. When I was looking I applied to all the new jobs that were relevant. It was zero some days and five or more others.

veritas_libertas · January 2010

binarysoul wrote: »

If you're actively looking for a job, how many jobs/day you apply for?

I know it really depends on location, availability, etc, but want to get an idea.

I apply for 1-2 jobs which may be very low.

As many as I am interested in, and our available on Monster, etc.

Specifically? Lately it's been about one a month

mikej412 · January 2010

Azret wrote: »

The biggest issue I run into is recruiters are the main posters of these jobs, and I am steering very clear of them because I feel like 95% of them are scam artists or just throw crap at the wall and hope it sticks.

If the economy recovers enough so that some jobs start coming back, a lot of the jobs are going to be through the staffing agencies, so you'll have to learn how to deal with them. But you should do okay since you already figured out how they work.

Down the road consider checking out some of your local Cisco Business Partners. Even if you start out driving a delivery van and racking 'n stacking new equipment at customer sites, the potential (at a good Business Partner) to gain MEGA-experience makes it worth it. And access to the Partner eLearning would be priceless to help you accomplish your current certification goals.

And as I've said before -- you could possibly get more experience in 6 months with a Business Partner than some people get in their entire career. But I guess I should mention the caveat -- with the technology changes happening as fast as they do now, what you learn and do this year may be irrelevant two years from now (except for a few stodgy low paying companies that upgrade maybe once a decade). That's why the good IT people spend so much of their time keeping up their skills.

While I'm not looking for a job now, I still keep an eye on the market. During the Internet Boom years there might be 10-20 new jobs a day posted that I might be interested in -- and it might only take a phone call or two to get a job.

Currently there seems to be just 1 job every week or two -- and unfortunately it's not just because the jobs that I'd be interested in has changed from the Boom Years.

Aldur · January 2010

binarysoul wrote: »

Oh really? Well, I was looking for numbers and not guesses.

Last time I checked revealing how many jobs you applied/day wasn't personal info.

PS. I edited the original question!

heh, yea sorry about the flippancy of my first post in this thread. As far as my personal history I would apply for a job anytime I saw one that I could possible do. Some times that was 4 in one day, sometimes that was none.

But just like Mike as soon as I got into IT I've never really applied for a job until I already had an offer. This was usually done through other people referring me for a job. I consider myself very lucky though, I landed my first IT job before the economy went in the crapper. I feel sorry for anybody know just starting with the state that the economy is in.

Hyper-Me · January 2010

Good day: 2-3

Bad/average day: 0

There isnt a lot in this area lately.

I HAVE found that customizing a cover letter to go with my resume seems to greatly increase responses from the companies.

electricity · January 2010

This binarysoul dude comes up with some really crazy/whacky/at times stupid threads.

Read the job description and if you think it matches your skillset/experience, apply. If it doesnt, don't. Simple enough.

snadam · January 2010

dynamik wrote: »

Um, I don't think there's a specific number. I'd do as many as is feasible. I try to tailor my resume and cover letter to the specific position, so I don't think I'd get in more than 3-5 quality submissions a day (if I had nothing else going on).

Agreed. The answer is "As many as you can". A number that I would like to submit a day and feel satisfied is "5".

+1 on the cover letter as well.

Slowhand · January 2010

electricity wrote: »

This binarysoul dude comes up with some really crazy/whacky/at times stupid threads.

That's. . . ah, not too helpful, either. Not exactly a necessary comment in a forum for IT professionals, there's definitely a more diplomatic way to express your opinions about threads you post in.

stlsmoore · January 2010

Honestly I would spend 4-5 hours out of my day applying to jobs, talking to recruiters, etc. I tried to plant as many seeds as possible in the area I wanted to work in and usually after about 2-3 weeks I would start receiving an influx of calls. I would say on averag I would apply to 6-10 jobs in locations I live or would be willing to live.

laptop · January 2010

Last week I sent out 10 resumes in total.

This week so far...I have sent out only 1.

Azret · January 2010

The biggest problem I have with IT jobs here in New York City is that they are all crap or completely uninteresting with a pyramid commission scheme attached. The bread and butter days are gone I know but really? Is this what I have to subject myself to?

PC509 · January 2010

Roughly 5-6 a day, for what I am qualified for. About a few for ones I'm not quite qualified for, but wouldn't mind having.

About 2-3 interviews a week. Been unemployed for the past 2 years. School and certifications have been busting ass!

Always trying to keep my skills up!

JDMurray · January 2010

When I'm looking for work I use a shotgun approach and post/email as many resumes and job applications as possible each day. I hate sitting around waiting for other people to decide on my future, so I keep myself occupied by searching for opportunities. Employers are under no obligation to contact you once you give them a resume, so never expect that you will receive a reply.

When you are out of a job your job is to find a job, so keep moving!

Slowhand · January 2010

JDMurray wrote: »

When I'm looking for work I use a shotgun approach and post/email as many resumes and job applications as possible each day. I hate sitting around waiting for other people to decide on my future, so I keep myself occupied by searching for opportunities. Employers are under no obligation to contact you once you give them a resume, so never expect that you will receive a reply.

I can't even begin to describe how good this advice is. Following up is key, and sometimes it can be the deciding factor between getting the job and getting passed up. I was told by several places I worked for that they put me in the running for the job because I followed up and kept in touch, making me stand out from all the other resumes they had piled on the HR desk.

In the past, how many jobs/day you applied for?

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