Dear HR,

Dear Mr. Applicant

You’re exhausted. You’re discouraged. You’re sad. And it’s all because you were rejected by the company you really wanted to work for. You immensely prepared for the interview, and so you thought you were a strong candidate for the job, but you don’t know why you didn’t get it.

Job hunting is an emotional and mental rollercoaster. From being happy to landing an interview for a certain company to being sad to failing a test assignment for another, then being happy to make it to the second interview round for this company, and then being sad all over again for being rejected in the end. Employers will make you create cover letters, perform multiple interviews, and assign you assessments, and even after all of it, you still may not know the reason you weren’t chosen. If you think about it deep down, what these employers declare is a fair process is almost completely the opposite.

But no matter how drained you are and think about giving up, I encourage you not to. To tell you the truth, getting accepted for a job is a numbers game.

Put this process into your mind: First, you apply. Second, you have a screening with a representative from the company. Third, you’re interviewed by someone from the department (and may also go through one or two more rounds of interviews). Finally, you’re offered the job.

The hiring process is ultimately similar to a funnel - with fewer and fewer applicants proceeding to the next step in the funnel until one person succeeds in being offered the job. As a result, the more applications you fill out and submit, the higher the probability you have of progressing through the funnel. For example, the more screenings you have, the more interviews you have. So apply to 100 jobs because then you’ll have more chances to advance in the funnel and emerge with a job.

However, do keep in mind that both quality and quantity matter when seeking jobs. Just because you perfectly fit the job qualifications doesn’t mean that you’re going to get it, and that is why you have to look at numerous jobs. But also, don’t apply to random jobs - they should be jobs that fit you and what you want to do to an extent.

Best of luck!