Hit 50 job applications last month before landing a gig I actually like

I dropped out of college three years ago and spent the first two years bouncing between fast food and retail. Last month I decided to get serious and sent out exactly 50 job applications for entry level IT and admin work. I kept a spreadsheet with every company, the date I applied, and whether they even replied back. Only 12 of them responded at all, which was honestly depressing. But number 43 was this small software company in Richmond that needed a data entry guy. I start Monday and it pays $2 more an hour than my old restaurant job. Has anyone else tracked their applications like that and noticed how many just ghost you?

2 comments

2 Comments

oscarmurphy6d ago

Did you keep track of which day of the week they replied? I feel like that's something I'd obsess over too.

taylorm896d ago

Did you catch that article on LinkedIn about the "black hole" application problem? I read somewhere that around 75 percent of applications just vanish into nothing, which tracks with your 12 out of 50 getting any reply. Keeping a spreadsheet is smart though, I did the same thing last year and noticed most responses came from places I applied to on a Tuesday or Wednesday morning (weirdest thing ever). Congrats on the new gig, especially for a data entry role at a small company those usually have better vibes than huge corporations.