Most job hunters have spent a considerable amount of time pouring over want ads. But what would you say if we told you 80 percent of jobs are never even advertised?
That’s just one of the interesting things we found when we went searching on the web for things you need to know during your job hunt. Here are 10 surprising job hunt stats to consider as you embark upon your own job search.
1. Background checks have become much more common.
More than 40 percent of companies use them these days, compared to about 25 percent four years ago.
2. The hiring process has gotten longer.
In 2010, it lasted an average of 13 days. By 2014, that was up to 23 days.
3. There’s a gender gap in salary negotiations.
Forty-six percent of men say they negotiate salary when offered a job, but just 30 percent of women say they do the same.
4. The average job opening draws 250 resumes.
And just four to six of those people will get interviews. Anything you can do to stand out in that crowd is a bonus.
5. More than three-quarters of job seekers use social media in their search.
That is, 79 percent – and when you look at just job seekers in the first 10 years of their career, that number rises to 86 percent.
6. More job seekers turn to Facebook than LinkedIn.
Everyone knows LinkedIn is the “professional” social network, yet 67 percent of job seekers using social media employ Facebook in their search, compared to only 40 percent who employ LinkedIn.
7. Nearly a third of all Google searches are job hunt-related
Google is a job-hunter’s best friend: 30 percent of, or 300 million, of its searches each month have to do with finding new jobs.
8. Job seeking is a mobile pursuit
Seventy-seven percent of those looking for jobs use mobile apps in their search.
9. Early birds get the worm, err, job
Candidates who apply for jobs with the first 72 hours after it’s posted have a much better chance of landing that job than those who wait.
10. The vast majority of job candidates fail to send a post-interview thank you.
Want to stand out? Be among the small percentage who do. The interviewer will get a nice little memory jog when the card arrives – and it’s the polite thing to do. There’s never an excuse for forgetting your manners.