Five Interviews Per 100 Resumes: Three Ratios to Improve Your Job Search Odds
The Harvard Business Review recently ran an article about the realities of getting a job. It contained several statistics that you should be aware of in your job search:
1. You should be getting 5 or 6 first interviews for every 100 targeted resumes you send out. If you are not, you might be sending out resumes to every ad you see, whether the jobs fit or not. Also, have someone review your resume to make sure it’s clear as to what you are looking for and that it doesn’t contain a typo.
2. You should be getting one second interview for every 8 first interviews. If not, ask yourself whether you need to polish your interviewing skills. Are you coming across desperate or unsure?
3. Have you have been a finalist for more than 8 or 9 positions and not landed a job? If so, try to review what happened. If the companies hired from within, there isn’t anything you could have done. If the company decided not to hire anyone, there isn’t anything you could have done. But to get this far this many times and not have closed the deal suggests that something is wrong. For starters, you might want to review your references. Are you giving them enough information so that they can be helpful? Consider adding new ones to the list. Sometimes, the personality of the reference makes a big difference, too!
While these ratios might not fit every particular market area, they are indicative of what I’m seeing. As harsh as these numbers may sound, don’t give up. Recheck and rethink what you are doing and go to it again.
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GETTING the interview doesn’t necessarily mean DELIVERING A WINNING interview. When I coach clients, I prep them with mock interviews, shoot tough and unexpected questions at them, rehearse them to give brief, vivid illustrations of major achievements, teach them to use short sentences with impact.
Taking an interview cold is not a good idea. Spending time preparing, and rehearsing with a coach or a friend: worth the effort.
It also helps if you can have an advocate in the company – someone who can give you information about what’s going on and, if appropriate, speak up on your behalf. The upfront research and networking, an important step in the process, can sometimes help you find such a person.
I get about 60-70% interviews for every resume that I submit, and I have been a final candidate in many situations. However, in this tight job market and economy, there are often other people who simply are a slightly better fit for the job with their experience, background, qualifications or accomplishments. I always ask, and usually there has almost always been a logical answer. So I don’t take it personally and keep plugging away.