How (in)efficient is your job searching process?
Do you sometimes find yourself thinking, “I’m doing everything I can to find a job, and nothing comes of it.” or “I’ve applied to dozens or even hundreds of job ads… and no job yet.” or “I’m a qualified candidate. Headhunters keep ignoring me, but wouldn’t they make money off placing me?” or “My networking efforts aren’t bearing any fruits – yet it’s so time-consuming!” or “I’ve been searching for a job for 6 months now. Why don’t I have an offer yet?”
Searching for a job can be and often is a frustrating experience – especially if you feel like you’re being very productive, and yet you’re not seeing the results you expect.
However, we often observe that candidates that are actively looking for a job, don’t take full advantage of all the tools available to them. To be successful in your job search, you need to put in a lot of effort – much more than ever before; statistically speaking, you can’t afford to ignore some job search channels or approach them half-heartedly.
If you want to calculate your current job hunting efficiency, answer 9 simple and short questions by clicking on Calculate My Job Hunting Efficiency.
If you’d like to understand what’s behind the Job Hunting Efficiency, continue reading.
Searching For a New Job: Step by Step
The process of searching for a new job comprises four steps:
- Define your goal precisely. Consider where you really want to work and whether your goal is realistic. If you still have doubts, take some time to make sure you are moving in the right direction.
- Position yourself. Discover what makes you stand out in the job market and why it is you who should be hired.
- Customize your application tools (CV, cover e-mail, etc.). Make sure they are tailored to your target and error-free. Ideally, in addition to a standard CV, you should have a dedicated “CV for ATS” and adjust it for each job ad before applying. We also recommend creating a LinkedIn profile optimized for both people and the algorithm.
- Access the hidden and visible job market. Your goal should be to generate offers and interest.
Let’s take a closer look at the job search channels, which are at the core of the steps above:
- direct contact,
- job ads,
- networking,
- headhunters.
Searching For a New Job: 4 Job Search Channels
Job Ads
Application through job ads is currently the most effective channel, with an average efficiency of 36.67% over the past three years. In contrast with direct contact, as presented below, a clear upward trend can be seen in the case of job ads – in 2024 the channel’s effectiveness was as high as 39%, although six years earlier we calculated its effectiveness at just 3%. Be sure to adjust your application tools before each application in your job searching process!
Direct contact
Direct contact is nothing more than sending emails directly to potential employers. To use this channel to its fullest, we recommend choosing 90-120 companies you would like to work for. Then, spend some time finding the e-mail addresses of decision-makers at these companies. Analyzing the data from the last three years, we found the average efficiency of this method to be 28.33%. However, it is worth noting that since 2018 we have seen a significant decrease in the effectiveness of this channel (almost 60% in 2018 vs. 26% in 2024).
Networking
Networking ranks third among the most effective job search channels, with a 19.33% success rate over the past three years. At the core of this channel is the preparation of strategies for establishing and maintaining contacts with particular groups chosen from one’s own contacts. Unlike the previously mentioned channels, the effectiveness of networking remained virtually unchanged over the years analyzed.
Headhunters
Contacting headhunters turned out to be the least effective job search channel. Its average efficiency of this job searching method reached 15.67% over the past three years. It should be remembered that headhunters work primarily for companies, not for candidates. Nevertheless, this does not make this channel less important in terms of strategy.
In the post-pandemic era, we are more certain than before that no job seeker can afford to simply disregard individual channels or treat some of the methods superficially, while searching for a new job. Especially if they care about achieving tangible and real results.
Searching For a New Job: Timing
The length of your job search process will depend on two aspects: how easy / realistic your job search goal is, and how systematic & intensive your own activity is.
Your Job Search Goal
There are several levels to the complexity and duration of a job hunting process. It’s standard level if you are looking for a job in line with your experience, competences and interests. In that case, it might take you ~6 months to find it. However, if you are looking for a job in line with your competences, but outside your key industry, your job search process will probably turn out to be longer (~9 months) and more complicated. It’s also possible to look for a job that is outside your core experience and industry, but it will require proper planning, as it may take between 12 to 24 months.
Your Own Activity in the Job Search Process
Everybody’s job hunting process can look differently. However, if we assume that you are looking for a job in line with your competencies and you activate all four job hunting channels parallel, your job search timing will most likely look like this:
- First 2-3 weeks: preparation (defining your goal, your USP, adapting your CV and cover letter to different target groups)
- 4th week: start of emailing & contacting
- 5th week: follow-up messages
- 6th week: first round interviews are completed (incl. Screening calls) → decide whether more activity is necessary
- 7th-9th week: silence or low activity; send out LinkedIn contact requests
- 10th week onward: 2nd, 3rd-round interviews
To find out how effective your job searching process is, fill out our “Job Hunting Efficiency” form. Answer 9 short questions and receive a comprehensive analysis of your job searching efforts!
If you are not happy with the result and would like to understand how to effectively increase your efficiency, schedule a free 20-30 minute consultation with one of our experts or send an email to Contact@CareerAngels.eu | Subject: Career Consultation
If you haven’t started your job search yet or have other career-related questions, feel free to get in touch too.
