Types Of Inputs

“When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure.” — Goodhart’s Law

I think the number of jobs you apply to is a bad measure of your effort in getting a job. I actually think it’s easier to send out hundreds of applications, burn out, and give up, than to do the thing that’s actually effective.

If you were to get coffee with a professor you respect twice a semester, a colleague you admire once a quarter, a friend who’s doing something interesting twice a month, you’d come out the other side with a relationship.

With that relationship comes the ability to ask for, and likely receive, help towards your goal.

It can be hard, though, to ask for help. Often it’s easier to write 10 resume versions, 100 cover letters, and apply to countless jobs all without talking to or engaging with a single person.

The metric to direct yourself by should be the number of people you’ve asked for help, after feeling you have a genuine relationship with them.

I imagine you’d fare better in your pursuits, and be happier with how you got there.

TL;DR: I’m more impressed when someone tells me they made time to see a friend than when they locked themselves in a room and applied to 1,200 jobs. Ironically, the former tends to get more jobs.