How many roles do you have on your pipeline?

[aalvarez]

Out of curiosity, when you are looking for your next contract, to how many roles do you apply simultaneously (i.e. where you know your CV has been submitted)? I try to keep 3 parallel applications running, more if they are taking long to decide or call me to an interview, but wondering if its perhaps too little.

[Ketchup]

Out of curiosity, when you are looking for your next contract, to how many roles do you apply simultaneously (i.e. where you know your CV has been submitted)? I try to keep 3 parallel applications running, more if they are taking long to decide or call me to an interview, but wondering if its perhaps too little.

1, have never been rejected

[northernladuk]

WTF?!?!? You apply for 3? F that!! I apply for every one I possibly can. If I have to interview 7 times a day and end up getting 3 offers then happy days.

If you have 3 in the pipeline and all 3 fail with other offers gone begging you only have yourself to blame. What kind of business limits the number of money making opportunities it is following?

Most ridiculous thing I have heard all day.

[Sausage Surprise]

This has to be a sockie

[Scrag Meister]

WTF?!?!? You apply for 3? F that!! I apply for every one I possibly can. If I have to interview 7 times a day and end up getting 3 offers then happy days.

If you have 3 in the pipeline and all 3 fail with other offers gone begging you only have yourself to blame. What kind of business limits the number of money making opportunities it is following?

Most ridiculous thing I have heard all day.

WNLUKS

I apply for any that I think are a good skills match.

Don't limit your opportunities, if you can do it well and have the experience then apply for it.

[insur]

WNLUKS

I apply for any that I think are a good skills match.

Don't limit your opportunities, if you can do it well and have the experience then apply for it, else reword your CV and apply anyway.

FTFY

[MyUserName]

I apply for absolutely anything I think I can do - why would you only apply for 3?

[aalvarez]

I apply for absolutely anything I think I can do - why would you only apply for 3?

I'm on a niche market (outside the uk) where the probability of getting an individual contract is pretty high. Also, I don't limit myself to 3 contracts, if its taking more than a few days I increase the number of running applications accordingly.

[Kelstar]

I apply to everything and anything within my skill set and minimum rate (that I would accept). Some roles I never hear back from, some interview and others leads to other work which was not advertised. I've had three contract roles, two of which were not advertised roles, and via blanket applications I got in touch with good agents who either made some introduction or sold me into the client.

Its an awful lot of phone calls and talking, but its worked for me. I don't like to put too many eggs in one basket and all that.

[sunflower]

You also need to factor in the number of false adverts out there for reference and cv harvesting (probably at least 80%) and agents who supposedly have an opportunity but who are using your cv as bait for a new client. They often seek out permanent job adverts from companies from Monster and others and the try to place freelancers or perms with them.

Another agent ruse is putting the candidate through the recruitment process and half way, the client or agent reveals that the roles in permanent. Wasted your and their time.

There are those agents who will tell you the client is going to offer (especially to put you off any other offers you have in the pipeline) and then the role mysteriously gets cut due to budget constraints at the client or projects being cancelled.

Don't stop looking until you have the offer/contract in writing.