Finding a job can be a very difficult process. There are so many different factors that could affect whether or not you get a role you applied for. Luckily, in this day and age, you can find plenty of information and statistics that will help you land your next role. The below facts can put you in great stead for your next interview or when you go down to your local recruitment agency. Read them all below so that you can prepare yourself ahead of your next interview.
Approximately 80% of available jobs are never advertised
Adverts can be a great way to notify job-seekers of a new position. However, you shouldn’t rely on adverts alone to find your next role. The best way to find a job is not to wait for it to come to you, but for you to find it. If 80% of jobs aren’t advertised, it would be best practice to go online and search for jobs yourself. Using websites like LinkedIn, you can find roles in numerous sectors, filtering these based on location and industry. It is also worth checking the websites of companies you would like to work for as that is the first place that they will advertise openings and most organisations are happy to receive speculative applications too.
On average, the number of people who apply for any given job is 118. Only 20% of these applicants get an interview
So, there’s essentially a one in five chance that you will get a job interview if you have applied for the role. However, the fact that your chances are cut so slim before you have an interview could make job-seekers think against applying. The right attitude would be to focus on what makes you more suitable than the other people applying for the role and ensuring that your skills and experience are highlighted in your application. This could be by ringing the company to show a proactive attitude or sending off an excellent CV.
The average time spent looking at a CV is 5-7 seconds; 1 spelling error or grammar mistake and your CV will be thrown away.
Once you have completed your CV, rigorously go over every last detail to ensure that there are no errors. If your CV suggests you do not pay attention to small details, you will struggle to be hired. Once your CV has been checked, ensure your email address is professional before emailing your CV as 76% of CVs are ignored if your email address is unprofessional.
Only 38.2% of candidates receive any information prior to their actual interview, other than the date and location
This would be a good opportunity to show incentive and call the company for further information. There’s a strong chance that they would have left questions unanswered to test whether you are willing to make the effort to find out the information yourself. By showing that you care from day one, you will be in good stead for the interview. If no further information is available, prepare for all possible interview scenarios so that you’re ready to tackle whatever comes your way.
On average, interviews last 40 minutes (phone interviews 30 minutes), however in a survey of 2,000 hiring managers, 33% claimed to know whether or not they would hire someone within 90 seconds.
This statistic implies that how you speak and present yourself is crucial in determining whether or not you will get the job. Even if you’ve got thousands of interesting things to say, you’ll need to come across well if you want the person interviewing you to take notice. Remember to speak in a professional manner and address the interviewer politely. If you are a likeable person and come across well, you can greatly improve your chances of landing the job.
What employees look for before making an offer: 36% look for multitasking skills; 31% look for initiative; 21% look for creative thinking; and 12% look for something else in the candidate.
Bear these statistics in mind when preparing for an interview. Yes, it may be a good thing that you have expertise in a certain field, but the employers are probably prioritising your initiative and multitasking ability, as seen above. When preparing your answers, try and include the skills mentioned above.. The interviewer will think highly of you if your answers not only highlight your skills but also tick the boxes of what they’re looking for.