I see several job postings that show over 100 applicants have applied to the job.

26 Comments

1. AnonymousApril 17,2024 at 1:10PM UTC

   Yes it’s worth it, especially if you know you’re qualified. A lot of people who apply are generally not qualified for roles, or so I have heard. Also, if you are looking at the numbers on LinkedIn job postings, LinkedIn has been known to make those applicant numbers look a lot higher than they actually are. The best way to hear back from hiring managers is to be qualified for the role. Good luck!

2. KatApril 17,2024 at 1:17PM UTC

   If it's on LinkedIn, often times it's the number of people that have clicked on the ad-not everyone that clicks will apply. It can't hurt to apply even if there's a large pool of applicants as long as you're truly qualified and interested in the job.

3. Jessica FerlandApril 17,2024 at 1:30PM UTC

   If you don't throw your hat in the ring, the answer is always no. You have no idea the quality or level of match of the other 100. Go for it!

4. AnonymousApril 17,2024 at 1:47PM UTC

   Sure. Why not?

5. AnonymousApril 17,2024 at 2:00PM UTC

   If you don't apply then you know you won't be accepted.

6. AnonymousApril 17,2024 at 3:02PM UTC

   Haha spray and pray I'm going to use that from now on.

7. Shawn CraigApril 17,2024 at 3:52PM UTC

   "You miss 100% of the shots you never take" - Wayne Gretzky.

   If you're a qualified candidate and the position is appealing you should apply.

8. JillianSApril 17,2024 at 5:23PM UTC

   I'd follow the advice of others here and really try to figure out what the business/organization is looking for. If you are not hired, it may not be because so many applied, but because the outfit is seeking something in particular. I applied for one job which was re-advertised three times; another was simply cancelled. Why? In both cases, it was because the organization (public colleges) did not receive enough (or maybe any) applications from minorities.

9. AnonymousApril 17,2024 at 8:05PM UTC

   If it was posted and re-posted 3x, I organization may not have known was they wanted or extremely particular. They THOUGHT thy knew and brought in someone 99% ready. Organization thought should have been 110% prepared.

10. AnonymousApril 19,2024 at 9:29PM UTC

    So the moral of the story is change my race to apply?

11. AnonymousApril 18,2024 at 1:13AM UTC

    HR will automatically move applications from people they recognize as spamming the system to the "not competitive" list instead of reading the same (mostly unqualified) resume over and over. No doubt they actually are qualified for some of the positions, but the screeners aren't going to bother evaluating after a few rounds where the applicant is clearly not a viable candidate.

12. AnonymousApril 18,2024 at 1:21AM UTC

    We get lots of unqualified candidates applying because we're a huge government employer with decent pay and good benefits. Most of the applicants for my last two postings had zero directly relevant background in my niche field. I'll guarantee they didn't understand what the job was even though I listed the duties and critical background. Because it's a government position, we have to list generic "minimum qualifications" even though most of the "preferred qualifications" are critical to being able to do the job.

13. Melanie SApril 18,2024 at 12:42PM UTC

    Absolutely. I saw a post that had about 600 applicants in the half-day it had been up. However, while "easy apply" was enabled, the posting had very specific questions and tasks in order to apply, which would take some time. I messaged the poster directly to introduce myself and then again to let her know that I wasn't going to be able to meet the deadline, but wished her well. She said 99% of applicants hadn't read the instructions, so she gave me an extension, as I had paid attention. I didn't end up getting the role, but I had a really great conversation with her and ended up with an interesting contact.

14. AnonymousApril 18,2024 at 2:14PM UTC

    You have no idea how many applications from unqualified people every recruiter gets...it is a lot. Also, 100 applications really isn't that much. For certain roles, if I receive 100 applications, only 10 actually meet all the requirements listed for the role. Some people apply to literally everything regardless of their experience. On niche roles I have literally written in capital letters in the requirements "Do not apply unless you have "X" experience." Do they listen? No. Pay zero attention to the number of people applying as it has nothing to do with your experience or how good you would be in the role.

15. AnonymousApril 18,2024 at 4:22PM UTC

    As a job seeker this and other advice aggravates me. People say apply even if you don't meet 100% of qualifications. But oh wait don't do that because you are wasting people's time. Then there's almost always a 5 page laundry list that no one would ever fully qualify for.

16. AnonymousApril 19,2024 at 12:48AM UTC

    Applying when it's entry-level or you have 75-80% of the qualifications is one thing, applying when you have never once heard half the terminology in the description of duties is something else entirely. And yet, people continue to do it. There's a lot of gray area between fully qualified and reasonably qualified, and then there's just NOT qualified.

17. AnonymousApril 18,2024 at 4:37PM UTC

    If you are qualified, why not? No job posting is just sitting there waiting for you....apply to anything where your skills meet the requirements by at least 70 percent. You should aim for a learning curve in your roles and most companies are fine to hire someone whose core skills fit the position but may need to learn new things. Then you get a challenge and they get someone eager to learn too.

18. AnonymousApril 18,2024 at 10:48PM UTC

    Probably 75 of those applicants are just blanketing the job boards with applications.

    So many people think spending 8 hours a day applying to all openings gives them a better shot at getting a job.

19. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistApril 19,2024 at 1:24AM UTC

    So if you're talking about the number of "applicants" that shows on LinkedIn postings, that's not typically the number of actual applicants.

    That's the number of people who have click through on the job posting. LinkedIn has no way of knowing what someone does once their leave their site. They have no way of knowing if someone actually completes an application.

    The number people who actually complete an application is typically a small fraction of that number. And of that fraction, typically around 80% of the people who apply to my open requisitions are not a fit. Many times it's higher.

    So you may not be competing with as many people as you might think. Also don't let the amount of time a req has been open discourage you. I had a Senior Engineering Manager position I was working on last year, open since May - we had an offer declined - it was October and we were just about getting ready to make an offer - a candidate applied, he was great, we interviewed him, made him an offer and he accepted. Sometimes, you can really stand out once the initial rush of candidates is worked through.

    Not every position gets thousands of applicants.

    If you're qualified - if you think the recruiter and hiring manager will see you're qualified - apply.

    GOOD LUCK!

20. Donielle JacksonApril 19,2024 at 12:37PM UTC

    Yes.

21. Danielle GibbonsApril 19,2024 at 12:39PM UTC

    I wouldn't even bother.

22. rgstaffing@bellsouth.netApril 19,2024 at 12:45PM UTC

    of course because 90 of them are probably in no way qualified.

23. Steph McDonaldApril 19,2024 at 2:58PM UTC

    If you're referring to LinkedIn, those numbers are bogus. Anyone who clicks the apply link (but doesn't actually apply) is included in those numbers. Apply!

24. AnonymousApril 19,2024 at 9:27PM UTC

    My friend (a hiring manager, not a recruiter) said she has posted jobs that explicitly state they cannot sponsor someone for an employment visa and you must be IN the US, and she still gets applicants who needs sponsorship or are located in other countries.

    That's not the poster's fault.

25. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistApril 20,2024 at 1:52AM UTC

    Exactly! I had a position that required on-site. No remote. No hybrid. I got so many applicants that I actually changed the title of the position to XXXX- On Site.

    I still had candidates applying and when I started the phone screen, they were like "oh, I was hoping it was remote."

    I had a position that required an advanced degree (PhD) in a very specific discipline, required a specific national certification and a specific State license. I had a real estate agent apply. She had none of those things.

26. AnonymousApril 22,2024 at 1:17PM UTC

    I was born in the US and no way in hell would i put my license number on an application. That's the kind of info you don't give until someone has made a conditional offer and is ready to do a background check.