How To Successfully Find A New Job Online | Forbes

If you’re looking for a new job and haven’t received a lot of bites from the online applications you’ve sent, you’re not alone.

Waking up to an empty inbox after emailing countless resumes can be frustrating and demoralizing, which can further hinder your job search efforts. And although a weak consolation, it may be helpful to know it’s not your fault. Unfortunately, the odds are against you in an online search. Here are some stats you need to know:

An online job ad receives about 250 resumes on average (with top brands like Google receiving up to 3,000,000 per year). From these 250 applications, about 2% receive interviews according to Workopolis (only 0.2% at Google get hired and usually only with an internal referral).
98% of Fortune 500 companies use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) according to Jobscan, which often weed out 75% of applications before they reach human eyes, sometimes for irrelevant reasons like the way your resume is formatted.

One study found as many as 50% of jobs are filled internally before even making it to the public eye. Some of these jobs are posted online to fulfill legal requirements, but an external candidate has little chance of landing the role.

Taken together, it’s clear networking has a distinct advantage over online applications. However, networking isn’t a speedy process. Building relationships takes time and if you’re in a dire situation, you may feel this isn’t an option (yet, you already have a network and it may be more robust and helpful than you realize - see here).

So, your best bet may be a combined approach - spend time cultivating your network while also strategically applying to open roles you find posted on the internet. Here’s a step-by-step process to get started:

Read the full profile on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/dawngraham/2020/07/27/why-your-online-job-search-strategy-is-failing-you-and-how-to-fix-it/?sh=484cdc5a777e

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