Companies

${ company.text }

Be the first to rate this company   Not rated   ${ company.score } stars     ${ company.industry}     ${ company.headquarters}

Articles

${ getArticleTitle(article) }

Topics

${ tag.display_name }

Community

${ getCommunityPostText(community_post) }

Contributors

${ contributor.full_name }

${ contributor.short_bio }

Jobs For Employers

Join InHerSight's growing community of professional women and get matched to great jobs and more!

Sign up now

Already have an account? Log in ›

  1. Blog
  2. Applying

How Long Will It Take to Get a Job? Here’s What the Data Says

Plus, tips for speeding up your job search

A woman on her computer looking for a new job

Finding a new job, or even getting your first job, can turn into a frustrating waiting game. Every step, from applications to interviews to final candidate selection has its own timeline and can differ by company, location, position type, and industry.

Waiting is the worst part. So, how long will it take to see that offer?

How long you can expect it to take to get a job

The average job seeker will spend about five months looking for a new job. This could involve many applications, several resume and cover letter rewrites, and going through the interview process with several companies.

Glassdoor finds the average length for the interview process is 23.8 days, while Jobvite’s 2018 report says 38 days.

This isn’t hard and fast. It may take you less time.

Read More:What to Do When You Haven’t Heard Back: 6 Do’s and Don’ts of Interview Follow Ups

Job search timeline breakdown

Let’s look at how long each step in the job search process could take you.

After submitting applications

A study by Indeed found that to hear back from the employer took several weeks for 44 percent of people, one week for 37 percent, and a lucky 4 percent heard back within a day.

Interviewing

Companies can hold rounds of one, two, or even three interviews on the phone or in person. Depending on the size of the candidate pool, interviews alone could take two to three weeks.

Final offer

Seven to ten days is about how long it will take to receive a job offer following a final interview. However, some candidates get offered a job on the spot while others are left waiting for several weeks.

The more money you make and the higher your position, the longer you can expect to wait. Some job searches will also be affected by security hurdles like clearances and background checks.

Read More:Waiting to Hear Back on a Job Application? Here’s How Long You Can Expect to Wait

How to accelerate your job search

If you’re becoming particularly antsy, give these tips a shot to speed up your job search.

1. Search everywhere

Make sure you’re routinely scouring all the job search sites to ensure you’re not missing an opportunity. Sign up for push notifications from these sites so the jobs come to you.

We’ll just leave this here:A Complete List of Job Search Sites

2. Be open to different opportunities/relocation

Consider broadening your hunt. Try searching for titles just adjacent to yours, jobs you’re not quite qualified for, or maybe something a little farther away than you initially thought (or even remote positions). A slightly different position or a company that’s a little smaller or less well known may actually be a perfect fit.

Read more:9 Steps to Getting a Job Fast & Making Money While You Look

3. Send a letter of interest

Not seeing the job you want at a company you love? Send a letter of interest.

4. Start telling people you’re looking for a job

You’ve heard it before: It’s not always what you know, it’s who you know. Start talking about your search to anyone you know—friends, parents at your kids’ school, friends, old coworkers, family, the barista. You never know who knows someone who needs someone like you.

5. Reach out to recruiters

Search LinkedIn for recruiters who work in your industry. They are the experts in job matching after all.

Read more:The 12 Questions You Should Be Asking Recruiters

About our expert${ getPlural(experts) }

About our author${ getPlural(authors) }

Share this article

Don't Miss Out

Create a free account to get unlimited access to our articles and to join millions of women growing with the InHerSight community

Looks like you already have an account!
Click here to login ›

Invalid email. Please try again!

Sign up with a social account or...

If you already have an account, click here to log in. By signing up, you agree to InHerSight's Terms and Privacy Policy

Success!

You now have access to all of our awesome content

You’ve Been Matched!

On InHerSight, we connect women to jobs at companies where they can achieve their goals. View your dashboard to see your daily job matches.