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Original poster

Is 235 applications for a job a lot?

15 replies

Wunderlustoflife · 15/03/2023 21:43

I’m about to apply for a new job and it shows you how many people have already applied. Would you consider 235 a lot? It’s London based if that’s relevant.

OP posts:
Bluebellsand · 15/03/2023 21:47

I would find that irrelevant. Try and if you get it congratulations 🎊. If you don't get it, I would be proud of my self confidence.

BluebellBlueballs · 15/03/2023 21:48

Yes, it's a lot

Many of them may be shit applications though

titchy · 15/03/2023 21:49

I'd say so yes. Presumably it's fairly unskilled or entry level? But depends on the skills needed and how well you match those skills. A lot of applicants won't have what they want.

Bridgingthefeckingmassivegap · 15/03/2023 21:50

Yes it's a lot of there's 1 job available, but if they are hiring regularly or for lots of the same role all at once then it's fine.

ThreeRingCircus · 15/03/2023 21:52

Are you seeing that on LinkedIn or Indeed? Because often that number is the number of people that have clicked on the job and looked at it in more detail rather than the number of people that have actually applied......they make it misleading though!

That said we do sometimes have that many applicants for a role (I work in HR) but now the labour market is quite hot we've actually been seeing lower numbers of applications as there's a lot of jobs out there for candidates to pick from!

Gingernaut · 15/03/2023 21:52

A lot of people are made to apply for jobs by the DWP, or else they are sanctioned

Whenever I was unemployed, the number of times I was 'encouraged' to apply that required certain skills or qualifications I didn't have was embarrassing.

Can't drive? - Try this mobile cleaning job

Need a ludicrously specific forklift licence, can't drive and have trouble travelling out of the county? - Apply for a warehouse job in the middle of nowhere, by a motorway in the next county.

It depends on the quality of the applications and whether you meet all the criteria set out in the ad.

brawhen · 15/03/2023 21:55

I'm advertising a part time admin role and got 70 applications in 1.5 days (not London). I've read the first 40ish, of which about 5 are interviewable.

For more technical roles we look for, about 5% of applicants are interviewable.

There are A LOT of dross applications going on.

My top tips = proof read your CV, write at least a short cover letter / statement. You will stand out just for doing that :-)

NameChangeFor2023 · 15/03/2023 21:55

That's low where I work. Quite a lot can be multiples of the same applicant or, in our field, people from abroad applying. They can also be a lot of people who are just applying to anything similar to their wanted role to see what sticks.

I don't think it should stop you applying as it only takes one right candidate to fill it.

Whyarewehardofthinking · 15/03/2023 22:08

We have just advertised for a physics teacher, offering an R&R payment. We had 1 applicant who we met and didn't employ because they were terrible, but normally they wouldn't have even got past the sifting stage. I'd say that many is a decent amount!

Original poster
Wunderlustoflife · 15/03/2023 22:09

titchy · 15/03/2023 21:49

I'd say so yes. Presumably it's fairly unskilled or entry level? But depends on the skills needed and how well you match those skills. A lot of applicants won't have what they want.

It’s not unskilled or entry level, but it’s in the beauty industry so I think that would generate more interest.

OP posts:
Original poster
Wunderlustoflife · 15/03/2023 22:10

brawhen · 15/03/2023 21:55

I'm advertising a part time admin role and got 70 applications in 1.5 days (not London). I've read the first 40ish, of which about 5 are interviewable.

For more technical roles we look for, about 5% of applicants are interviewable.

There are A LOT of dross applications going on.

My top tips = proof read your CV, write at least a short cover letter / statement. You will stand out just for doing that :-)

Just curious and it will differ but do you read all applications or would you stop when you had x number of people you knew you would interview?

OP posts:
titchy · 15/03/2023 22:45

I read all, but if there were hundreds I'd scan each for about 10-20 seconds looking for our key requirements.

brawhen · 16/03/2023 18:30

I will intend to read them all - I pause or remove the job ad while I catch up. But I make very quick decisions on rejecting to get through so many.

For me spelling/grammar errors or a CV that is difficult to read because of poor layout would be an instant reject (the roles I'm looking for would involve comms with our clients and internal written comms - even though that is not the key job competency). Also any cv that looks a bit left-field in prior experience/geographic location/whatever but has no supporting statement - though I'd be happy to interview someone doing a less typical move if they can explain why.

I also instantly reject any cv that has a glamour-style photo of the applicant on it (2 today - for business admin roles). And any cv or application that mostly talks about their passion for some hobby that has nothing to do with the role (a boxing one, a biology one and a canoeing one this week, all for business admin roles).

Florissant · 16/03/2023 18:49

Gingernaut · 15/03/2023 21:52

A lot of people are made to apply for jobs by the DWP, or else they are sanctioned

Whenever I was unemployed, the number of times I was 'encouraged' to apply that required certain skills or qualifications I didn't have was embarrassing.

Can't drive? - Try this mobile cleaning job

Need a ludicrously specific forklift licence, can't drive and have trouble travelling out of the county? - Apply for a warehouse job in the middle of nowhere, by a motorway in the next county.

It depends on the quality of the applications and whether you meet all the criteria set out in the ad.

I've got one that sounds ideal for you:

Must:

Have knowledge of Japanese products
Speak, read and write Japanese
Be able to lift and carry 60 pounds of product.

It's yours for the princely sum of £10.12 an hour!

Florissant · 16/03/2023 18:49

Oh - I should have said that you need a forklift licence, too...

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