I'm 66 applications into the job search process, and honestly it felt like the number should be a lot more. I've been told to expect it to take 80-100 apps to get that one "yes" though.
There's a good number of aspiring analysts from Merit America following my journey and I know how daunting this stage of the journey seems (and really is), but I want to give you some encouragement. I only try to get one quality application submitted each weekday and take the weekends off. "Quality" meaning that I spend time optimizing my resume for keywords in the job description. I write a custom cover letter every time and always research the company to understand their mission and see if I really want to work there. Then I contact the recruiter for the role if possible, or find a likely hiring manager at the company using LinkedIn search. If I *really* like the role, I'll try to chat with someone with the same title at the target company and ask how they like it.
That's a lot, but here's the encouraging part. All the practice has helped me speed up this process considerably. What used to seem extremely laborious has become so routine that I can get done in as little as 40 minutes now. It feels so much better to not be consumed by the anxiety of job applications looming over my day. It's something I get done and then I can move on.
Speaking of having time for other things, I made a new project in Tableau. This one is inspired by Avery Smith and is a visualization of my personal LinkedIn data! It was fun to see the steady growth of my connections over time and amusing to see that LinkedIn doesn't consider me in an early stage or a growth stage of my career. I think that's because I already have a long career behind me, but it couldn't pick up that I'm a #careerchanger. Take a look and try it yourself!
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