Are 200 people applying for the same job considered a lot?

Question

I applied for a Graphic Design position for Arizona's Department of Transportation Systems. After 2 weeks of waiting, I called them and asked about the status of the position and they narrowed the more than 200 applicants to 16.

Now I am discouraged that I wasn't one of the 16. They said that they had a scoring system that is based off of your skill set, which, I assume is the number of years you've used a certain program. Then they score you again during the interview. Now this I understand. The only problem I have with this is my experience.

I have worked 3 years as a Graphic Designer with Arizona's Department of Transportation Systems in another city. And that job paid my way through college, which got me a degree in Studio Arts. Now that I'm in the real world, businesses only rely on the sheer number of years you've worked, and I'm up against people who are twice my age who want the same position (I'm 27).

So are 200 people a lot? What can I do to stand out? davedacruz.com

Answer 1

200 hundred applicants are quite a lot of people applying for a job. u have a 1/200 chance of gettting it and a 8% chance of making the top 16. you've gotta realise that there's other applicants out there who may have better qualifications that u and who they would hav preferred more working there. it kinda sux, but at least u know u took the chance of applying yourself. with me, i've never worked in my life. im 19 yrs old. when i was in yr 10, i was thinking of leaving school, but after doing some work experience in a primary school, woolworths, a place called centacare, i realised i wanted to do something that would motivate me and that i would like. i stuck to the idea that i wanted to work in an office. in yr 11 & 12, i did business services (administration) which enabled me to do work placement, both at a legal firm and at the catholic education office (CEO). i realised how much i enjoyed my time at the CEO, which only made me work harder to achieve my goal. i finished yr 12 and got my full certificate in business services admin certificate II, and straight after school, i went to TAFE (2nd option instead of uni) and did business services admin certificate III. i then decided to apply for a couple of jobs. one was at this place, more of a medical one, and the other was at this place which is like working at Officeworks. my main concerns was the medical job. the interview went really well, and i thought they would at least consider me. they gave me this test on accuracy and i got 100% in it, being told i was the 1st person ever to hav got that. i also produced quite an outstanding resume which i had created myself outlining all i had done. then, a couple of weeks later, i get a call from them saying i didnt get the job, that they had chosen someone else for the job, sum1 they recruited, but they wish me luck in the future. i was gonna tell them anyway that i wasnt going to go ahead with the job. i liked the other job a lot better. it was more me. i wasnt that upset that i didnt get the medical job cos i had heard bk from the other job days b4 saying i got the job. but it still left me wondering what changed their minds about me. its weird. i would see myself a little fortunate because im young and because some people go through many interviews in their life b4 they actually get a job, and i was fortunate enough to get a job on the 2nd interview. and considering that this is a full-time job. at the same time, i had looked almost certain to get the medical job and didnt. i myself dont know what i could hav done to make myself stand out more. mayb this job i just got will help me stand out more if i decide to leave. i guess u need to hav what they are looking for as well as a bit more to make u stand out from the rest of the applicants. what i've learnt is that you've got to be prepared for anything.

Answer 2

Fantastic question, although I've never lived in Arizona, I am a former employee of the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services (2 jobs there). Hmmmm, let me think: I have a friend who's a graphic designer. You know, one thing you might consider is calling their state HR department and asking for a link to view their policy on how interviewees are selected....don't be too horsey though, 'cause their law-suit alarm will start going off.

Also, consider the "level" you were formally at...is this a lead position or a senior position.....at 27 with 3 years' experience, you may not have the juice they're looking for. Don't be afraid to call the hiring supervisor a month from now and ask what it was about the other applicants that got them in the door? Wish I had more to offer...good luck.

Answer 3

Job searching in the Internet Age is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it's easier for you to find openings. On the other hand, it's easier for everyone else to find them too.

I would keep trying., apply for as many things as you can, and in your spare time try to improve your skills or learn new ones so when you do get an interview, you have more of an opportuntiy to impress. Plus certifications always look good.

Also, every time you apply for an opening, try to modify your resume to emphasize the qualities they're looking for. And write a cover letter emphasizing what is not in the resume. Yes, this is a lot of work. But, as you've noticed, there are 200 applicants for every opening.

Keep trying. Every day. Just because you've applied to the position you think you want doesn't mean you can stop and wait for them to call you back. It's a numbers game. With really big numbers.

Answer 4

200 hundred people is a lot of people that apply for a position. Realistically of the 200 people that applied (government jobs usually get a lot of people that apply) - 50 where truly qualified. From there they took what they felt where the top.
What you can do to stand out - is to make sure you have all the key buzz words on your resume (i.e. software you have used, clients you worked with, good full job descriptions). Chances are they are looking at your resume for certain terms or words that match up to what they are looking for.
Being a graphic designer, include some of your work along with your resume.

Good luck!

Answer 5

I grew up in a single parent household with 6 siblings. My father deserted us when I was 4, the youngest of the lot. My mother suffered a nervous breakdown and lost her job. We survived on food stamps and help from my grandparents while she recovered. I shudder to think of what would have happened w/o those safety nets but I am certain that we would have been split up into foster care or worse. After that she worked a factory job during the day and a waitress job at night just to pay the rent and put food on the table. Somehow we all survived and I attended college with the help of needs-based grants and scholarships while working a full time job and acquired a degree in finance, worked for a few years at a bank, started my own company with a few other folks and sold it for a large sum of money a few years ago. Now, neither I, nor my mother nor my siblings were lazy or deadbeats. We needed help and without that help, we become wards of the state. Any God-given abilities that we possessed would have been squandered. A few days ago I was in a hotel bar when a woman was bemoaning to me the election of a socialist, hell-bent on creating a welfare state on her tax dollars. When I told her my story she simply called me the exception to the rule and that "it wasn't the government's role and that's what churches are for". I don't know when this cynical approach to dealing with fellow Americans who need a hand became so pervasive, but I pray that it stops. We need to see the other side of the story and thank God for our own blessings without simply dismissing the needs of those less fortunate as somebody else's problem. The future of our country as a land of opportunity for everyone, regardless of social situation or class depends on it.

Answer 6

That is a lot, but not uncommon for a state position in a metropolitan area. What you lack in experience you need to make up for in talent and intelligence.

When applying for a job of this nature, try to get as much information about the organization as possible. If you didn't submit a portfolio with your resume & application, do so next time and tailor the porfolio to the style and types of projects the organization specializes in.

If you can find material that they have produced in the past, get copies of it & use it as a guide - but, be sure to go the next step and make your portfolio appear progressive. Make sure it demonstrates your ability to accomplish every task or area mentioned in the job posting that you can.

Be able to answer every requirement questions that comes up and offer innovative directions that the company could go in. If you are not familiar with programs that have been mentioned in the past, start familiarizing yourself with them.

You didn't say how your interview went, but lets assume this is the area that you need to really work on. Not because your bad at it, but because it's the area that you actually exercise the most control. Visit the company if possible, arrive early, check out the web-site - get the company culture down and be sure you can relate to the people you meet and the types of customers they serve.

Be prepared for rejection, not because your 'bad' but because the pool of potential hirees is so huge and a lot of them know how to talk their way 'in'. That's a skill you need to master & then back up with your talent.

Good Luck!

Answer 7

Not exactly . As you reside in the United states it may be alot for you. However in remote third world countries like the one I live in jobs are even harder to find. In my place, some months back a manpower exporting agency had published an ad to get about 200 candidates to have an oppurtinity to work in Korea , but the about 3500 candidates applied for that.This shows how hard is it to get jobs.

Answer 8

Yes that is a lot depending on how many positions are actually available. Now if it's like 2 or 3 positions then 200 applicants is a lot.

Answer 9

I would say for that postion that's a lot, Just prove that your the best person for the job excelling in the interviews and such assuming you still have more good luck i hope you get the job man

Answer 10

200 people are not a lot in my opinion. but the SF bay has a lot of competition for graphic deign jobs. Really put a lot of effort into your package and tailor your cover letters so that they really speaks to the audience (company) you ar applying to.