How many interviews to shoot for
One way to judge the effectiveness of your job search efforts is, of course, by getting a job. But before that happens, are there some benchmarks one can look at? My guess it is the number of job interviews one goes to in a month, since I have read that the average job seeker must interview “X” number of times before they get their first job offer. (I have heard that some lucky souls get multiple job offers at the same time so that they can choose the best offer, something I don't expect to ever happen to me.) Since one has to go to “X” number of interviews to get a job, then I will be able to guesstimate how long it may take to get a job based on how many interviews I go to in a month (with the understanding that a lot also depends on your location and how competitive the field is that you want to enter). This would be a reasonable goal to shoot for. So how about it? How do I determine if my job hunting efforts are going along swimmingly or if they are a major flop? I know that you are being serious here, but I have to admit that I laughed loudly at that one. Maybe the amount of interviews one receives and attends are a way to determine how your job hunt is flowing. But, I truly don' t think so. I think a lot does have to do with the area you are living, the field in which you are applying. How many other people are applying to the same position. The economy, of the nation, your state and your region are all factors. Your experience and your qualifications matching the requirements of the position. The human resource and/or the hiring manager' s diligence in reviewing and answering our inquiries and applications. These all play a role in job hunting. Lots of luck with the job hunting and lets hope that you don' t have to look for long.
Personally I try to balance the quantity vs the quality of interviews I go to. Rather than ask how many interviews should I be going to, you should be asking how many are you invited to. More important, how many of those invitations are from companies of the caliber that your are interested in. It's a marketing campaign and you want to focus it on your prime targets. You can waste a lot of time going to interviews that do not fit you. It is a numbers game, but this doesn't mean you just brute force it. Alter the process so luck and repetition plays less a role in you landing the job you want. Here are some better benchmarks to determine how well your hunt is coming along: Start with your resume. On a weekly or monthly basis: 1) How many times does it show up in an employer's search? (keywords/experience benchmark) 2) How many recruiters contact you? How many related to a position that match your interest? 3) How many hiring companies contact you directly? Related to your interest? High caliber company? (the best resume benchmark) Then take the numbers from above and see how many translate to a: 1) phone interview (basic career status/interest benchmark) 2) in person interview (personality benchmark) 3) second interview and so on... 4) ultimately an offer This method has helped me tremendously because not only does it give me a pretty good idea how valuable I am, but I identify almost exactly where in the process do I need to improve. A lot of people calling you but not getting any interviews, well something you said to them upon first email/phone contact is turning them off. Making it to the first interview but never hear from them again, well maybe your interview skills are not that great.... | |
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Career Tips
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