June 29, 2022
Job hunting can be painful. In addition to the hours spent writing cover letters and preparing for interviews, the process usually comes with a hefty side serving of rejection. In a recent survey of 1,000 job applicants, recruiting platform Joblist delved into the psychology around job applications and rejections. Here are some of the key takeaways:
On average, successful applicants applied for 10 to 15 jobs and received between 6 and 10 rejections. On average, applicants asked for a salary of $65,000 and received one of $57,000.
The average respondent started losing confidence in themselves after the fifth rejection; and about 64% ended up pivoting on the type of job they were applying for after losing their confidence. Of those, about 36% started therapy, 34% stopped job searching altogether, and 30% went back to school.
The most common assumption people gave for why they were rejected: there were too many other applicants (43%). However, 35% of women thought they were rejected because they’d asked for too much money compared to 27.3% of men.
Don’t give up even if your confidence is wounded: 75% of job seekers said they now have their dream job, but, on average, it took three months to find it. Respondents’ top tips for landing the dream job was improving your interview preparation, updating your résumé, and developing new skills.
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