The One Question I Wish I Could Ask Job Seekers

Robby

I speak with jobseekers here in Central Indiana all the time. Most have questions for me, and often I have questions for them.

But there’s one question I just can’t bring myself to ask people, even though I kind of want to. That’s because it’s so unbelievably direct that it may upset people. And while I do want to be honest, I am not sure I can ask it aloud.

Here it is:

How many jobs do you apply for each day?

© Flickr User Lars Plougmann

To be clear, applying for jobs directly is among the worst ways to get a job. According to a US News and World Report article:

While applying to jobs may make you feel productive, a recent CareerXroads survey shows that only 15 percent of positions were filled through job boards. Most jobs are either filled internally or through referrals. When you spend all your time and energy scoping out jobs and applying, you’re hurting your chances.

So if it doesn’t work very well, why do I want to know how many jobs you are applying to each day?

Because if you’re not applying to many jobs, you’re probably not really doing much for your job search.

I meet people almost every week who say they want a new job. Some are unemployed, but most are just underemployed. They feel they could be doing more meaningful work for more substantial pay. That’s why the I want to ask a question about the number of jobs they are applying for each and every day. If you’re not doing something active every work day, you’re not making much of an effort.

As a bonus, here are a few other questions I’d like to ask every jobseeker (but don’t):

1. What are five companies here in Indianapolis where you’d like to work?
2. What’s a skill you have that is quite rare that you would bring to a new job?
3. What’s a key trend in your industry you could summarize for me in five minutes?
4. Who is your mentor, and what is their advice for your search?

All of these questions have answers. But make sure that your answer is not a blank stare.