When I had to get my 2nd job out of college I sent out probably six resumes a week for five months. That's what? 120 resumes? I believe I got four interviews. The job I eventually landed was at a company advertising in the paper (dating myself there hard) but it was for a position they didn't know they needed until they met me.

When I needed out of that job I made calls to people I knew, got two offers, got turned down for two others, and ended up in a new position four days after I talked to the right rep. It is FAR easier to make a move when you have a network.

This was all - shit - eleven years ago. In 2009, when things were slim, I actually applied for something on Craigslist. It was a highly specialized job; it was also exactly what I had been doing from 2000-2007 so I was eminently qualified. I was also (in my estimation) one of maybe two dozen people west of the Mississippi who had any business applying for that job.

I got the interview, got to look over the position, and long story short it was about eight times too much work for about one third as much money as it deserved and it was temp contract to boot so within about two minutes of sitting down the "interview" went from "tell us why you're qualified for this job" to "lemme tell ya just how fucked you are because I can tell you need Seal Team Six, you're paying McDonald's and you're recruiting like Labor Ready." It was abundantly clear I wouldn't take the job if they offered it to me, so they said I was the most qualified person they'd met so far.

Curious, I asked how many people they'd interviewed.

"About twenty five."

(jaw drops)

"How many are you interviewing?"

"We've got another fifty today."

(long pause)

"How many resumes did you get?"

"About five hundred."

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Moral of the story: the more people that see the job, the more people will apply. That does not mean that more qualified people will apply but it does mean that when you're part of a wide net cast, you better be able to distinguish yourself early and often.