A True Story: The Man Who Applied for 1000 Jobs (and Still Hasn’t Got One)

I recently sat down with someone who had applied for over 1,000 jobs in Switzerland - and still hadn’t landed a single one. Now, you might be thinking, “Switzerland, the country with more jobs than people - how could this happen?”

If you’ve ever sent out application after application only to be met with silence, this story might feel all too familiar.

The truth is, he wasn’t lazy or unqualified. His CV was solid, he had real-world commercial experience, and he'd spent hundreds of hours tweaking and perfecting his applications. Yet, despite his best efforts, he barely got any responses.

Out of 1000 applications, he secured just 10 interviews - a success rate of 1% - and even those led to nothing more than a “Sorry, we chose someone more suitable.”

Most of the time, though, he heard absolutely nothing back.

What Went Wrong?

The main issue was simple: application blasting.

He believed he would eventually get a foot in the door by applying for every job he was remotely qualified for. After all, more applications equal more chances, right?

Not exactly.

In today’s hyper-competitive Swiss job market, it’s not about how many jobs you apply for but how you apply.

Submitting 1000 applications might feel like hard work, but it's mostly wasted energy if there’s no strategy behind it.

Clicking “Apply” can give a temporary sense of accomplishment and a micro-dopamine hit, but it’s rarely the path to success.

Why Mass Applying Doesn’t Work

One of the issues that my clients ask me about is Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). Plenty of large companies use these systems to filter through applications before a human even looks at them. If your CV doesn’t include the keywords they’re looking for, it gets filtered out - end of story.

Even when your CV does pass through the system, hiring managers are overwhelmed by the sheer number of applications they receive. And thanks to the widespread adoption of AI technologies like ChatGPT et al, that number is only increasing. AI has made it easier for people to mass apply, but that only makes it harder to stand out.

The sad part is that he knew all of this, but without better guidance, he kept firing off applications, hoping for a different result.

Trust, Like, Know: The Real Game-Changer

Now, let’s flip the script.

What if, instead of applying for 1000 jobs, you focused on 10 roles that genuinely excited you? What if you took the time to network with people at those companies instead of tweaking your CV endlessly? What if you reached out to hiring managers directly and reflected deeply on what value you bring to the table?

That’s where Trust, Like, Know comes in:

Trust: People trust recommendations. When someone within their network vouches for you, you become a stronger candidate. This is called Third-Party Validation, and it’s powerful.

Like: People hire people they like. You don’t need to be best friends, but networking and engaging with professionals make you more familiar and approachable. Emotion drives hiring decisions. This is merely validated by logic.

Know: They need to know you exist. If you’re not on their radar, it doesn’t matter how qualified you are. Networking is about building visibility.

Remember – many people get new jobs every day without needing a CV.

The Hidden Job Market

Advertising and sifting through hundreds of profiles is hard work for Talent Acquisition, HR, Hiring Managers and peers.

Here’s the kicker: Most jobs never make it to the job boards. They get filled through referrals, internal recommendations or professional networks long before they’re advertised.

The man who applied for 1000 jobs never tapped into the Hidden Job Market. He always followed the standard approach - applying through job boards, tweaking his CV - and assumed that’s all he could do.

But the truth is that most of the best opportunities come through connections.

Think About Your Own Career

How many of your past roles came through someone you knew versus a cold application? If you’re like most professionals, personal connections have played a much bigger role in your career than you realise.

Many people move to Basel for jobs that were secured before they even arrived. Connections play a significant part in that process. But what happens when you need to find your next role? Are those connections still valuable?

Shifting the Strategy: From Outbound to Inbound

The ideal scenario is to have opportunities come to you.

Instead of endlessly applying to jobs, focus on building relationships, strengthening your professional identity and allowing your network to work for you.

Quality connections are those who can:

??????????? ??????????? Refer you

??????????? ??????????? Hire you

??????????? ??????????? Or introduce you to someone who can

This approach shifts you from chasing jobs to having jobs come to you.

The Bottom Line: Is Your Job Search Strategy Working?

If you’ve been mass-applying and seeing little to no results, it’s time to stop and rethink your strategy.

Focus on building Trust, Like, and Know with your network. Tailor your approach, build relationships and don’t rely solely on job boards.

And no, recruiters aren’t your magic bullet - they work for companies, not for you.

If your network isn’t producing results, it might be time to re-evaluate how you engage with your professional community and present yourself.

What About My Clients?

Many of my clients, like the man who applied for 1000 jobs, were stuck in this cycle of endless applications. However, after taking The Basel Job Coach Networking Masterclass, they saw massive improvements in their application-to-interview ratios.

In fact, most report being directly approached by companies again after months or years of feeling invisible.

If this resonates with you, and you don't want to send out 1000 CVs with no response, please get in touch.

Sometimes, a slight tweak in your approach can make a big difference.