Job hunting, explained
More people are applying for every job
By David OswaldAs of
The short version
Most jobs now attract hundreds of applications, about twice as many as a few years ago. Sending more applications yourself makes the pile bigger, not your chances better.
What's going on
- Applications per job have doubled. Data from over 6,000 North American companies and 640 million applications shows the average job drew about 115 applications in 2022 and 244 in 2025 [1].
- Graduate roles are the most crowded. UK graduate employers received an average of 140 applications per vacancy in 2025, against 38 in 2002/3 [2]. Retail, FMCG and tourism graduate roles drew around 290 each [2].
- There are fewer jobs to go round. In the UK there were about 2.5 unemployed people for every vacancy in April to June 2026 [3], and unemployment stood at 4.7% in June to August 2026 [4].
Why it's happening
Partly the economy: when hiring slows, more people chase fewer roles. Partly technology: AI tools and one-click "easy apply" buttons mean an application can take seconds rather than an hour. The Institute of Student Employers names both, alongside wider entry criteria, as reasons competition has risen [5].
The result is what one hiring platform calls a "doom loop": candidates use AI to apply at scale, employers use AI to filter the flood, and both sides trust the process less [1].
What you can do
- Apply to fewer jobs, properly. Pick roles where you meet most of the essentials and tailor each application. The ISE's own advice to applicants is to tailor applications to show what you genuinely offer for that role [5].
- Apply early. Recruiters with hundreds of applications often review in the order they arrive. Set job alerts and aim to apply within the first few days.
- Mirror the advert's language honestly. If the advert says "stakeholder management" and you've done it, use those words, not a synonym. Never claim what you haven't done.
- Use the employer's own careers page where you can. In one large North American dataset, company job boards produced 34% of hires from 24% of applications, while external job boards produced 23% of hires from 50% of applications [1].
- Keep a simple tracker. A spreadsheet with company, role, date, contact and next step stops the process becoming a blur.
- Mix in routes that skip the pile. Referrals and direct contact are covered in Getting in front of a person.
Where BurntCV helps
BurntCV's job description analyser shows how your CV matches each requirement, with evidence from your own CV, so you can decide quickly whether a role is worth a tailored application. The tracker keeps every application in one place. A spreadsheet and a highlighter do the same job, just more slowly.
Sources
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- 5.
David Oswald
Founder, BurntCV
David Oswald has spent 25 years in learning and development, including in-house roles at Royal Caribbean, Talon.One, JRNI and Arts Alliance Media. He created BurntCV to give job seekers honest, practical feedback on their applications.