Job Search Stats

In my never ending obsession with spreadsheets, I carefully chronicled my latest job search that began last April. It was a testament to patience, since making $12/hour without benefits or a cubicle wider than four feet after obtaining a master's degree tends to shroud one's mind in doubt and hopelessness. This was eerily similar to my status after getting my bachelor's degree seven years ago, although at least this time I was able to secure relief after only four months instead of eight.

So how many positions did I apply for?

32.

And how many offers?

1.

How many rejections?

15.

Fifteen may not seem like a lot, but consider that an additional 14 people/companies did not even have the decency to respond back at all. I realize job openings receive hundreds of applicants nowadays, but in this era of instant/online/web2.0/friendster/etc connectivity, there should at least be some acknowledgement of submittal. So that translates to 29 total rejections out of 32.

Besides SANBAG I only was extended one other interview, which was only for a paid internship. After accepting my sole offer, I withdrew from two other applications that were in the middle of a long phase of bereaucratic, government analysis (one of these jurisdictions was plagued by a scandal at the time).

How many companies/jurisdictions did I cover?

23.

Meaning that I applied to several positions at the same companies/jurisdictions. Of those twenty-three, 11 were jurisidictions (governments or government agencies), and 12 were private companies.

So, it was a three percent success rate. Not bad considering the current economy and the fact that seven years ago I applied to approximately one hundred positions. (Many of those came from the easy submittal process Boeing had at the time, combined with the desperation I was going through while pouring lattes and selling suculents.)