It's a marathon, not a sprint. For many, if not most of us, the thought of actively looking for a new job can bring out an [internal] eye-rolling, procrastinating and tantrum-on-the-floor knee-jerk reaction. I’m no exception. When I was laid off earlier this year I was forced to face this head on.

One of the ways I dealt with potential avoidance and procrastination was to commit to record the “stats.” What does this mean? To me, it meant keeping careful track of every job I applied for, including any responses and additional follow-up related to each one of these. Plus, believe it or not, I knew I was going to write this post. My hope is that by reading about my journey, it might help you determine what you might expect and it might give you hope. I also want to say thanks to all my supporters and cheerleaders, with special thanks to Andrés, Lisa, Kari, Mario, Toño, Alberto, Adam, Tim and Susan.

Now, for the numbers…

I was unemployed for 203 days (6 months and 21 days)

I spent $270 on subscriptions to various job sites

I applied to 103 qualified jobs (I think they were all online). I have to pause here to explain a bit… “Qualified” jobs: these are not just any job listing in my career specialty, but jobs that I vetted and felt that (a) I was qualified for, (b) met most or all of my career objectives, and (c) I had a chance at landing. I did not keep track of those that did not make the cut. There were probably thousands.

Now, thinking about the qualified jobs I applied to…

I got absolutely no response to 42% of submissions. That’s right, not even an email saying: “we got your application!” Over 4 out of 10 times employers couldn’t be bothered to respond to an application submission for a job they had posted online. In 5-10 cases, I got a response weeks or months after my submission. And in at least 2 cases that I can remember, I got a “no thanks” response within minutes of submission.

That’s right, not even an email saying: “we got your application!” Over 4 out of 10 times employers couldn’t be bothered to respond to an application submission for a job they had posted online. In 5-10 cases, I got a response weeks or months after my submission. And in at least 2 cases that I can remember, I got a “no thanks” response within minutes of submission. Of those that sent me responses, 86% sent me a “closure” communication. As you can imagine, almost all of these were of the “we decided to pursue other candidates” variety.

Regarding contact with actual people…

Only about 1 of every 6 submissions resulted in some kind of follow-up with a real person (excluding automated email). Most of the time, the follow-ups were emails leading to a screening interview (talking to someone in HR, not the hiring manager).

(excluding automated email). Most of the time, the follow-ups were emails leading to a screening interview (talking to someone in HR, not the hiring manager). I had 6 positions that I ended up interviewing for (or about 6%) from my submissions.

Regarding job opportunities that I learned about from contacts… There were six positions that I learned about from contacts (friends or business acquaintances). In all six instances, they introduced me to the hiring manager, resulting in an interview with all six. Which means, 100% of the leads I got from contacts resulted in an interview.

My advice to you:

Don’t follow only a single source of leads. Look through job boards, contact friends and acquaintances, do whatever you can think of to get informed.

Look through job boards, contact friends and acquaintances, do whatever you can think of to get informed. Spend at least as much time working with your contacts and networking as other, more impersonal methods (like job boards). Job leads from contacts are much more likely to get results than job boards.

Job leads from contacts are much more likely to get results than job boards. Have a group of people that can provide support. Whether it’s new ideas for your job search or providing emotional support, they are key. If you’re not sure how to do this, ask for help (friends, family, etc.). LinkedIn and other social media channels also have chat groups for people looking for jobs.

Whether it’s new ideas for your job search or providing emotional support, they are key. If you’re not sure how to do this, ask for help (friends, family, etc.). LinkedIn and other social media channels also have chat groups for people looking for jobs. Keep your chin up. Having a positive attitude and outlook is perceived more positively than a bitter, sad, or desperate frame of mind.

For some time, I've liked the quote from Maya Angelou: “Hoping for the best, prepared for the worst, and unsurprised by anything in between.” While difficult to achieve, it was one of my reminders to buckle up when I began to despair. Remember: it's a marathon, not a sprint. If you are looking for a job: best of luck.

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My name is Giovanni Riggioni, a 15-year research professional passionate about finding answers. I write for catharsis and share to help others with their own research, job hunts, and personal & business growth.