You Don’t Have to Apply for 100’s of Jobs After Reading This!
Let me tell you a story about a policeman and a drunkard.
Have you heard about The Drunkards Principle?
A policeman sees a drunk man searching for something under a streetlight.
He asks what the drunk has lost.
He says he lost his keys.
And they both look under the streetlight together.
After a few minutes, the policeman asks.
If he is sure, he lost them here.
And the drunk replies, no, and that he lost them in the park.
The policeman asks why he is searching here.
And the drunk replies, “this is where the light is“!
This Principle is also called as a Streetlight effect.
Can you think of a time this has played a role in your life?
Here’s one common area: The Job Search!
I want to tell you about the question I had posted it in the F1 Visa Facebook Group.
“How many jobs did you apply before finding one?”
The answer was not a surprising one to me.
If you are starting school or not in an active job search phase, you will find the answer, rather surprising and head-spinning.
As part of the Job Search Summit, I’m interviewing two kinds of speakers.
- Job Search Experts
- Employed Engineers (& professionals)
As I was having deep dive conversations with few Employed Professionals. One thing stood out.
The number of jobs they applied before finding their current position.
If you carefully observer why F1 students from school schools have a hard time finding jobs, whereas, other schools are struggling, you will find some exciting reasons for this.
I may have to survey to nail down these factors, but eyeball shows the list of factors, which I will discuss part of a Live Session the Job Search Summit – “Why does it take 5+ months to find a job.”
So, back to the question.
“How many jobs did you apply before finding one?”
Here are the results of the poll –
The #1 option count is 132.
Less than 20% landed a job with less than 50 job applications.
I’m pretty sure, folks who applied for 500+ should have used some bulk resume submission, or one-click submit option.
So, how can you avoid this with your job search?
It is easy and straightforward.
You need a roadmap and execution plan.
Without that, you will follow the Drunkards Principle.
Looking for a job on a company website is easy and convenient.
Applying to a job on the company website is easy and you have a low barrier to apply.
But it is not the best place to look and apply.
Recent Research by Randstad USA has proven this.
Managers prefer Employee Referrals over applicants from the Website!
Referrals fill over 80% of Positions!
So, how can you avoid this streetlight effect from impacting your job search?
Don’t spend your time applying online.
It’s easy for me to say, but how can you find a job then?
You need a roadmap and a strategy (aka proper guidance).
Then, you need to belive in yourself to do things that will push your limits.
Before we talk about the actual plan, let me say something crazy!
Pavan applied for 1500 jobs before finding one as an Industrial Quality Engineer.
Nirmal applied to 300 jobs before finding one as Mechanical Engineer.
But, they got their current job via Referral after applying for 100’s of jobs.
It took them so much effort to find that one referral and that too by chance!
It took them months of effort to be at the right time in the right place.
Luck is defined as the meeting point of your effort and a passing opportunity.
What if you have the power to decide the time and the place?
The sole aim of this Job Search Summit is to teach you the importance of a Solid Strategy and how to create one and implement it.
- Austin Belcak (Microsoft & Career Coach)
- Connel Valentine (IT Manager & Career Coach)
- Nikhil Gorantula (IT Operations Manager)
- John Ribeiro (Author, Career Coach)
All the above guests teach specific skills that will help with Strategy.
You will wonder if these interviews will help you find a job?
The answers are YES!
A Big FAT, Yes!
Just Register for the Job Search Summit and Watch the interviews for free during the summit days.
In the full interview, Austin explains the step by step process and a 6-week timeline to land your dream job.
In the case study, he explains hows he got one of his students to get an interview in Microsoft in 6 Weeks without applying online for a job!
You don’t have to apply for 100’s of jobs to land one.
Isn’t that crazy?
So, it boils down to the following steps.
- Learn the Job Search Techniques (Austin’s and other speakers)
- Create a personalized timeline
- Execute it (without applying for countless jobs online).
Job Search Techniques
You have to realize; there is more than one job search technique.
- Search and Apply
- Volunteering
- Referral (via Networking)
- Intern to Full-Time
- Reference (via Show and Tell)
- Personal Branding
- Out of the Box
Easiest of them all is Search and Apply for 10, 20, or 100’s.
But, that’s the least effective technique.
You don’t have to agree with me, but when you are actively applying, you will see for yourself.
Then come Networking and Referrals.
It’s not easy to build a network overnight.
Would you be able to get your college degree right after you pay the fees?
Nope!
You have to attend class, complete assignments, get passing grades.
You have milestones and a structure that gets you closer to the degree.
The same goes for building relationships and networking.
You have to find the right people; they have to respond, then you have to build relationships.
You are trained to study from a young age.
You are not trained to network with strangers.
Parents teach the kids about Stranger Danger!
So, it’s not easy and natural to put yourself in an uncomfortable situation by sending emails to strangers.
But when you follow the step by step process, meet milestones, you will have a solid network of professionals who can help you.
That’s what you are going to learn as part of this Job Search Summit.
What’s in the Online Job Search Summit?
- 4 Days Online Event (FREE)
- 20+ Speakers
- 20+ Interviews
- Live Sessions
- Learn from Job Search Experts
- Learn from Professionals on OPT and H1B
- Implement the Lessons Learned to Find Your Next Job
The online Job Search Summit sessions will teach you easy to implement, step by step process, and a ton of practical tips and strategies.
I don’t know about you, but it would instead put in the focussed effort on a few companies that can get an interview and job for sure than applying online without an end in sight.
Irrespective of whether if you attend the job search summit or not, understand that there are job search strategies that can get the job in the company you want and desire at an expected timeline.
It’s there for your taking.
You can choose to ignore this advice and take the traditional, easy, and convenient way of applying for jobs through portals and employer websites.
But, please do remember this article and come back if things don’t go your way after 25 applications (not 100 or 200 or 500).
Check the Schedule & Register for the Job Search Summit Now >>
Life is better if you grab a flashlight and go where’s it’s dark to find the key (or opportunity)!
Don’t let the streetlight effect impact your job search.
