Something I get asked often from RIT students is how many times you should apply in order to get a coop. According to 70+ students I’ve talked to, certain career services recommend you apply to AT LEAST 100 jobs to get 1 interview! I always like to tell students that, me, a 40 year old guy who has held jobs since I was 14, have not applied to more than 35-40 jobs in my life.
My secret? Quality over quantity.
Instead of spending 2hrs sending out the same resume to 20 jobs at different companies, the spray and pray approach, I like to spend those two hours 1. Identifying the right companies, 2. Reaching out to people who work at that company through LinkedIn, and 3. Updating my resume to match that particular job. The result, make 1 or 2 very strong applications that are more effective than spray and pray.
Focus on being effective and not efficient. Not only will this help you keep your enthusiasm high (no one likes to receive 99 rejection emails), it will also give you time to prepare for the interviews you will get. Remember that you don’t need interviews. What you’re looking for is job offers.
The goal isn’t job interviews. The goal is job offers.
Next week I’ll show you how to identify the right companies so you don’t waste time applying for jobs that aren’t meant for you.
Be Bold!
Ramon