What job search metrics can help you improve your approach?

One standout job search metric is % qualified. So you want to get a new job, you decide what role it should be and you start applying . In the process, you will come across several job descriptions. You would have to weight your competencies against these requirements to give you your % qualified. If you’re constantly below 70%, you may want to hold on with the search and upskill or consider switching your target job title. I prefer the former. It’s an adjacent metric but quite pivotal in how far you can go.

There are 3 conversion points in job search: 1. Percent of reach outs (e.g., applications) to calls from recruiters - target is 30% 2. Percent of screening calls to invitation to meet with the hiring team - target is 75% 3. Percent of offers post interviews - target is 75% I can tell exactly what is going wrong with someone's job search by looking at these three important conversion data points. And then know how to help someone get unstuck.

Application Conversion Rate Response Rate Interview Request Rate Time-to-Response Job Board Success Rate Offer Acceptance Rate LinkedIn Profile Views

-Job search funnel, which shows the percentage of jobs saved, applied, interviewed, and received offers for in a given time period -The number of jobs saved, which indicates how many potential opportunities / targets you have found -Percent of reach outs from applications to calls from HHs/recruiters -The number of contacts saved: how many key people you have connected with during your job search (potential network) -LinkedIn Profile Views from headhunters, recruiters, etc. -The number of key notes saved: how much key information you have gathered about each job opportunity -Time-to-Response, from your first contact till the end -The number of applications, interviews, and offers received -Percent of offers post key business interviews

Job hunting is similar to marketing and sales. You position yourself with your resume (marketing) and secure the offer (close the sale) That said, working sales and marketing without data and metrics puts you in a blindspot when it comes to diagnosis and optimizing. The data will tell you what is happening and then you figure out why it’s happening

Job search is where the emotions come into play and when mentees start to complain that they applied to so many vacancies but didn't hear anything back, I ask what is the number of applications you've made within this week / month. Quite often it is that they have done 5-7 applications, but it might seem way more than that in their head . So tracking the # of applications, seniority of roles, locations, application source, progress, date of application, languages required is important. You can see the clear picture, analyse the current data and adjust your search in a needed way.

It removes the emotion from the process. If you think about it as a numbers game, then you can ride this rollercoaster ride and keep your momentum. It is what sales individuals do. And if you think about it, you're actually selling yourself.

You need to get comfortable with being up close and personal with your numbers: *How many phone screens are you getting per application? *How many screens progress to interviews? *How many offers are made? These figures are very telling as to where candidates are falling over in their search. Numbers don't lie. Once we know where the gaps are, it's totally easy to address and get yourself unstuck.

Effectively using job search metrics involves initial definition of job criteria and target market. Select pertinent metrics aligned with goals, consistently record data, then objectively analyze it. Adapt strategies based on findings to enhance job search. Periodically review and update metrics to ensure relevance and adjust tactics accordingly.

I would recommend that your 'guiding metric' for your search is the number of unique companies that you apply to each month. You can add additional parameters or split the data, for example, local opportunities versus remote roles (since remote positions will be more competitive and therefore less viable). Secondary metrics that could be tracked would be things like interview rate, although this is a 'lagging metric' and your responses will be a result of your activity over the prior 1-4 week period.

Job search metrics are crucial for tracking progress and refining strategies. Here are some key examples: 1. Application Rate: Number of applications submitted per week or month. 2. Response Rate: Percentage of applications yielding positive responses. 3. Interview Rate: Percentage of positive responses resulting in an interview. 4. Offer Rate: Percentage of interviews leading to job offers. 5. Satisfaction Rate: Personal satisfaction with job search outcomes. Tools like Jobscan or spreadsheets aid in tracking. Enhance metrics by improving research, resume optimization for ATS, interview preparation, skill showcasing, negotiation, celebrating successes, learning from setbacks, seeking guidance, and aligning values with job pursuits.

Calculate an 'interview success rate'. Divide the number of interviews by the number of applications you send to companies to apply for jobs. 2 interviews/10 applications is a 20% interview success rate. If the figure is under 10% you probably need to reassess and change your job search strategy.

Regularly tracking these metrics can provide valuable insights into the strengths and weaknesses of your job search strategy. Adjustments based on this analysis can lead to a more targeted and successful job search.