How Many Jobs Should I Apply For in 2023?

ByReid
how many jobs should I apply for

How Many Jobs To Apply For

Whether you are looking for your first full time job or seeking a career change – the job market can often seem difficult to navigate. I know first hand!

In today’s world of work, things are even more cluttered due to the online nature of finding jobs. In the past people would have to hand their resume in to apply for a job, now they can do it with the click of a button.

This might sound like a positive (and in some ways is) but it also means more people are applying for each open job – leading to tougher competition and the question of “how many jobs should I apply for.”

How Many Jobs Should I Apply For?

The simple answer to this is to apply for as many quality jobs as you can. But to be honest, deciding how many jobs to apply for can be difficult.

You likely want to apply for enough that you stand a good chance of getting an interview but you also want to make sure that you don’t get overwhelmed and confused by the number of responses.

A good first question to ask yourself is how likely are you to get offered a job in the area that you are applying? If you are already experienced and qualified for specific roles you can probably apply for fewer jobs and feel confident that an interview is coming.

However, if you are completely new to the industry or you do not have any relevant qualifications, then it might be a good idea to apply for more jobs as you may be up against some tough competition. 

You should also consider how quickly you need a new job. If your current job is okay and you are just looking for a change in scenery, then you may be able to be fussier and simply apply for the ones that you really like. 

industry employment chart

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Where Do I Find A Company With Job Vacancies?

Before you can even begin to think about how many jobs you should apply for, you need to know how to find these quality job postings.

The vast majority of positions are now advertised online through job boards like ZipRecruiter, LinkedIn and Google. These sites are a great way to find a large number of roles in a short period of time.

How Do I Know How Many People Have Applied For The Same Role As Me?

Websites like Indeed or LinkedIn will often give you a vague idea as to how many people have applied for a particular job. You might see something like “10+ applicants” under a job posting.

Keep in mind that there may be more applicants that have applied through other ways. Applying directly through the company’s website or face to face will make it more difficult to figure out how many competitors you are actually up against.

What Is The Likelihood Of Getting An Interview Or Job Offer?

A massive part of considering how many jobs to apply for is thinking about how likely you are to get offered each job. Therefore, it is only natural to want to know your exact chances of getting an interview or a job offer. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work like that.

There is no telling how likely you are to get offered an interview or a job because there are too many factors to consider. These factors include:

  • Your Overall Qualifications
    • If you are well qualified for a job it is fair to assume that you will stand a better chance of receiving an offer than someone who does not have the relevant qualifications.
    • It is also important to consider how recent your qualifications are, whether they are from accredited sources and the classification that you received.
  • Your Background and Experience
    • Employees don’t just care about qualifications, they also care about experience.
    • So, if you have relevant or potentially helpful experience, this could give you a better chance of landing the job over someone with no experience. 
  • What The Employer Is Looking For
    • Different employers look for and value different things so it is difficult to know what exactly your potential employer is looking for.
    • If you meet their personal criteria though, you will have a much better chance of getting the job. 
  • Your Current Competition
    • As we mentioned before, your likelihood of receiving a job offer also depends on how much competition you are up against and how promising other candidates are. 

What Are Some Large Companies That Are Hiring?

Even during tough economic times, there are always going to be large companies hiring to keep up with demand.

Places like Amazon, IBM, Intel and Target all continue to hire even when massive layoffs seem to be happening.

Related:

Wrapping Up | How Many Jobs to Apply For

I tend to be cautious when it comes to submitting applications – focusing on a lower number of specific roles I believe I’m qualified for, that give me the best odds of success.

The number of job applications you should submit ultimately depends on a range of factors like your job search strategy, the type of role you are looking for, the job market, and your personal circumstances.

While some job seekers may only apply to a few positions and wait for a response, others may submit several applications in order to increase their chances of landing a job.

A nice balance between being proactive in your job search and avoiding spreading yourself too thin seems to put you in the best position to succeed.

Get out there and start applying – Best of luck in your job search!

Title: How Many Jobs Should I Apply For?

Category: Career Resources

Tags: how many jobs should I apply for, job applications, applying to multiple jobs, how many jobs should I apply for per week, how many job applications is too many, how many application to get a job

Co-Author: Reid is a contributor for theJub. He’s an employment and marketing enthusiast who studied business before taking on various recruiting, management, and marketing roles. More from the author. | Author Profile

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