Unemployment is a tough business, so it’s understandable that we’re looking to put it behind us as fast as possible. Most of us have probably had a friend or relative who lost their job and they were, understandably, pretty devastated about it. Once the initial shock is over, though, it’s time to move on. Picking yourself up and starting over again in a new place might seem like a hassle, but it’s as unnecessary as it is full of investments, specifically time and effort.
After we start job hunting, we often fix our eye on a particular position. Great. Time to apply. We send in our CV and wait, and wait, and wait… There’s ultimately no response, as is the case with way too many other candidates. It’s surely something that will rub salt in the wound, but what do you know – it’s all part of the vicious cycle of job hunting.
Eventually, someone asked the obvious question: “Why don’t you just apply for more jobs at once? Someone has to call you back and invite you over for an interview.”
That may be true. Statistically, your chances of getting a response and eventually landing a position increase the more applications you send in, but there are also some big risks and implications involved.
The Ideal Scenario
In a seemingly best case scenario, you manage to get called by all the companies that received your resume. You schedule interviews with all of them – it all sounds fine and dandy… in theory. Believe it or not, there is a high chance that you actually won’t be able to make it pass the interview stage with any of them. Why? Think about it.
It’s Exhausting to Keep Up
Most people spend copious amounts of time preparing for an interview, something which includes company research, ensuring that you’re in a good mood, and getting ready for the most uncomfortable of questions. Researching what a company does, its history, and what it expects from an employee is already exhausting enough, without even considering the other steps.
What do you think will happen if you suddenly pump in your skull a huge amounts of new information at once? Don’t worry, it won’t explode, but it will considerably weigh on your psyche and there’s always the risk that you’ll get some information mixed up. Wouldn’t it be awkward if you went to get a job at Apple and proudly decided to flaunt your Android device?
Divided Attention
The interview is the most important part of the selection process and it requires all of your attention and focus in order to ensure that it goes smoothly. Attending numerous interviews means effort divided in different places. Instead of giving 100% for one interview, you’re giving about 20% for five.
Decisions, Decisions
Let’s say you somehow muddled through and managed to get offers for almost all of the jobs you’ve wanted. How do you pick the right one? Employers have a way to make their offer the most attractive, so you might not be certain in the beginning about which of these jobs you want to pursue.
Speaking from personal experience and most of us can attest to that, when juggling with multiple job offers, the thought that you might be making (or have already made) the wrong choice is going to stay with you for a long time.
Compromise
Something else intervenes here, a question that you need to ask yourself before applying for that spot. Do you really want this position?
Sure, you might be all for working for that particular company you’ve applied to first, but what about the rest? When you think about it, any job application that happens after the first two is pretty much a reserve. In case you don’t get that position you really, really want, you might be able to land one of the reserves. That sounds good in theory, but what happens when you actually begin work?
Read Also: 5 Social Media Power Tips To Get The Perfect Job
Easy and Quick or Tough and Fulfilling?
Some jobs are easier to get than others. For instance, you are more likely to land a position at a call center or a fast food chain, both of which mass-hire new employees, than to get the chance to work for a billion-worth stock market enterprise. But just because something’s easier, that doesn’t mean it’s rewarding too. In fact, science has provided some reasons why working in robotic environments can be seriously damaging for you.
If you’re only applying for that position so you can elude unemployment, then chances are that you don’t whole-heartedly want it, anyway. So, rather than risking the loss of your dream job because you’ve exhausted yourself with too many interviews, take them all one by one in the order of your priorities.
Apply for that hot position first, go for an interview, and if it doesn’t work out, that’s just life and it’s time to move on. It might be riskier and more time consuming than just throwing out all of the applications at once, but it greatly increases the odds of you getting the best job and, ultimately, that’s all that matters.
