80% of your Results Come from 20% of your Efforts
The job search is time-consuming. You spend hours, scouring the internet for jobs. Then you need to craft customized resumes for every job you’re applying to. Then, you have to fill out the cumbersome (and frankly unnecessary) job applications. All for the HOPE of getting a first-round interview.
During my last job search, I applied to a staggering 100 positions, resulting in just 4 first-round interviews—a mere 4% success rate.
Getting an interview, however, requires more work on your end. You have to research the company. Write BRAG Stories that highlight your fit for the job. You may even have to make a presentation or prepare for a live coding exercise.
Out of the 4 interviews I managed to secure during my search, I successfully progressed to the next stage in 3 cases, and received 1 job offer, boosting my success rate to 25%.
All in all, I spent about 80% of my time cold applying to jobs. The other 20% of my time was spent networking. Surprisingly, networking proved to be more effective, with an 80% positive response rate to my networking requests for coffee chats and meetings.
Although it didn't lead to an offer this time, I am confident that had I been patient, networking would have brought me close to a job offer (as it has in the past).
This is the Pareto Principle in action—80% of the results come from 20% of the efforts. In practical terms, this means prioritizing networking, as it demands less time and delivers significantly better results.
Applying to jobs blindly has its place. It gives you a sense of accomplishment, offering tangible checkboxes and a feeling of productivity. But, you have to take a targeted approach.
Honestly, I probably could have only applied to the 20 best-suited jobs on my list and ignored the other 80. But, I wanted control over my job search. So, I applied to anything that was remotely close to my skill set.
Did I hear back from any of those jobs that weren’t a good match? No, of course not! But, I was anxious. I couldn’t just sit back and wait.
My advice? Be clear on what jobs you’re applying to and why. And combine your blind applications with a targeted networking approach to have the best chance of success in your job hunt.
The Resume Rehab provides a step-by-step networking guide with copy-paste LinkedIn templates to help you expand your network.
Want to learn more? Schedule a FREE Consultation.
👉What we’re reading and watching:
Despite consistent stories of layoffs, the employment economy is STRONG. Job openings are massive, compared to pre-2020.
Roxanne Gay’s Work Friend column shares advice to a reader who is struggling to say no to a reference request. (Hint, just say no.)
We love an #equalpay story. The US Women’s team is playing in their first World Cup with equal pay to men.
