Re: The odds of finding work through job ads

Subject: Re: The odds of finding work through job ads
From: Anthony Davey <ant -at- ant-davey -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Mon, 17 Mar 2003 08:25:59 +0000


Bruce,

Not my personal stats, but having been an aspiring permie for most of my working life (though thankfully the urge has now gone, mostly) all the job-hunt specialists I have spoken to (UK market) suggest that less than 30% of jobs are ever advertised. Usually only when networking, headhunting, opportune self-marketers' letters and internal promotion have failed to produce a suitable match, do companies go to agencies and/or advertise. Many agencies will not advertise jobs unless they are speifically asked to do so by the client or don't have a suitable candidate on their books.

The best way to get jobs is (according to those I have spoken to) a combination of networking and self-marketing to specific companies.

Regards,
Ant

Bruce Byfield wrote:


A few days ago at a local trade fair, I found myself holding forth on job hunting techniques to some grad students who will be entering the job market in the next months (these things happen to me; don't ask why - probably a big mouth and a bigger ego). I repeated the idea that looking through ads wasn't the best way to find work. My rationale was that, no matter how good your qualifications were, whenever you apply to an ad, you have lots of competition and can get lost in it.

Somebody asked if I had any statistics. The only ones I had at hand were my own. I've had 28 clients and employers in the last eight years (mostly clients). Out of those, only three came through answering an ad - less than 11%.

That sounds like fairly good proof to me, but I'm only one person. So, I wonder: what are other people's stats for finding work through ads? I"m especially interested in hearing from people who have been in the business a long time, and/or have done extensive contracting; obviously, someone who has only held one job - however it was found - don't have a good sampling.





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References:
The odds of finding work through job ads: From: Bruce Byfield

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