‍Did you know the average job opening attracts 250 resumes? When it comes to internships and entry-level positions, the competition is fierce. As hundreds of equally qualified candidates apply to the majority of available positions, only a select few are fortunate enough to land an interview.

Only 2% of applicants will be called for an interview for the average job opening.

As a college student or recent graduate looking to find full-time work or internship experience, the application process needs to be a daily undertaking that should be scheduled and adhered to just as any other class or appointment would be. Indeed, Monster, ZipRecruiter, LinkedIn and Glassdoor are just a few of the job boards being updated with new opportunities every hour, so following up routinely will keep you up-to-date and ahead of the competition.

Though the numbers can be discouraging, recognizing that there is such a high rate of rivalry should serve as a motivating factor and reminder to remain vigorous in the job search. Forwarding your resume to a handful of companies each week is not going to lead to success and will result in a de-motivating response rate.  

Students and graduates should be sending a minimum of 15-20 applications each week.

That process alone can carve out several hours each day, but what’s more, forwarding the same standard application to each company will have you at a major disadvantage. Though it may be time consuming, taking the time to modify each resume and cover letter is critical to capturing the attention of hiring managers who spend an average of only 6 seconds reviewing each application they receive.

While job boards are a great place to begin looking for opportunities, they shouldn’t be the only tool used in your job search. As a dedicated job-seeker, you should also actively research companies of interest and head directly to their careers page, which is often the only place many job openings are advertised online.

In fact, 70% of job openings aren’t advertised online at all.

That means in addition to scouring job boards and company websites, you need to be proactive about forwarding your resume to your personal and professional network. Connections you have made through school, internships or mentorships may know of open or upcoming opportunities that you won’t be able to find online.

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