Enter your search term

Search by title or post keyword

How Long Does It Take to Find a Job?

Our website is supported by our users. We sometimes earn affiliate links when you click through the affiliate links on our website

Contact us for Questions

Taking some time before finding a job can be a lot more common than you think. In fact, one of the most common questions that we receive is “how long does it take to find a job?”

Depending on your field and personal attributes, finding a job can take quite some time. Additionally, there are some factors that may extend your job hunting time for up to several months.

In today’s guide, we’ll take a quick look at some of those factors along with tips to speed things up!

How Long Does it Take to Find a Job?

The average time to find a job from applying to starting is usually between 2 to 6 months. However, some aspects may add to the overall lag period like pre-employment physicals or a larger number of candidates.

How Long Does it Take to Find an Executive Job?

Finding an executive job usually takes a lot longer than average. The process may take anywhere between 6 to 12 months or even longer in some cases.

How Long Does it Take to Get a Part-Time Job?

Part-time jobs are usually the easiest to obtain because they don’t require a lot of processing. Ideally, getting a part-time job takes as little as 2 to 6 weeks.

How Long Does it Take to Find a Job in NYC?

New York City has one of the most competitive job markets in the world due to its lucrative compensation.

Depending on the demand level in your field, a job in NYC may take up 20% longer than average.

How Long Does it Take to Find a Job After Being Laid Off?

After being laid off, it may take you up to 6 months to get a new job. Most layoffs come as a surprise. Since employees are rarely prepared to find a new job, it usually takes longer to get one, especially if the entire sector is struggling.

How Long Does it Take to Hear Back from a Job Application?

Unless specified in the confirmation email, it takes around one to 3 weeks to hear back from a job application.

A higher number of candidates and jobs that require a more rigorous review may extend the application processing time. For example, government jobs usually take up to 4 weeks or more to reply.

What Influences How Long it Takes to Find a Job?

1. The Economy

Getting a job the right way requires a thriving economy, which increases demand for employees and makes it much easier to hire people in a shorter time.

On the flip side, when the economy is struggling, the unemployment rate increases, so it takes a lot longer to get a proper job.

2. What’s Happening in Your Industry

The growth rate of each individual industry has a huge impact on the duration of finding a job in the field.

For instance, when the tech sector is thriving, smaller companies start hiring aggressively to meet the demands of the market.

3. Time of Year and Day

The beginning of a fiscal year is usually the best time to apply for a job. At that time, management sets a new budget for recruitment, which encourages the human resources department to hire more employees.

4. Location

The demand for a certain job may vary from one location to another. Consequently, the time necessary to reply to applications, perform interviews, and hire employees may vary.

5. Search Method

The way you found a job and applied to it may affect your application processing time. For example, if you’re recommended by a recruiter or an executive, you’re more likely to get the job within a few weeks.

6. Your Experience

Your work experience has a major impact on your employment speed. In fact, you can’t find a job in some sectors without entry-level or internship experience.

On the other hand, a resume with a long experience in the desired field is always a plus that speeds up your employment time.

7. Flexibility

Flexibility is another aspect that may affect your employment time and can take many forms. For instance, some companies may take a lot longer to review a resume and contact a potential candidate while others have very strict time windows.

8. Professional Network

Your professional network can speed up your job hunting process by leading you in either by fast-tracking your resume processing or by hooking you up with an interview directly before the job opening is even announced.

Is it Harder to Find a Job When Unemployed?

Finding a job when you’re unemployed may feel a bit harder due to the pressure of needing a job, which makes you more aware of the necessary time.

However, a recent report by Forbes shows that some employers actually discriminate against unemployed candidates, which makes it generally more difficult to land a job.

How Can You Speed Up Your Job Search?

1. Perfect Your Resume and Cover Letter

Some hiring managers arrange resumes depending on how perfect they are for the job.

The more attractive and job-suitable your resume is, the better your chances of getting hired quickly. Having a cover letter can also speed up your hiring process dramatically.

2. Update Social Media

Your social media is now a reflection of your personality and many hiring managers use them to learn more about you.

By keeping your social media up to date, you’ll make your overall application more likable and speed up your processing time.

3. Search on Different Platforms

Applying to various job offers increases your chances of getting hired quickly.

While searching for jobs, don’t stick to a single source and try to search on various reputable platforms, but keep in mind that free job posting sites aren’t always accurate.

For that reason, try to stick to reputable websites that offer genuine job offers to save yourself time and effort.

4. Sign Up for Job Alerts

Many job boards offer job alerts and other features to help you keep up with any new job offers in your field, such as ZipRecruiter or Indeed.

These websites also offer an easy-apply feature that saves your resume and allows you to submit them directly when you apply.

5. Reach Out Directly to Companies

Reaching out to a company’s human resources department may help you stand out and show that you’re willing to go the extra mile.

You can do this by sending an email or visiting the company’s headquarters to inquire about a job offer.

6. Be More Flexible

Some job offers may specify the period they take to process applications. Yet, it usually takes a bit longer than that. That’s why you need to be a little more flexible while waiting for a reply.

7. Use Your Professional Network

If you know a colleague or friend who already works in a firm you want to apply to, they can help you fast-track your application by sending a letter of recommendation or vouching for you.

8. Track Applications and Follow Up

A lot of hiring managers reported that applicants who follow up on their job interviews and applications are more likely to get the job.

These actions show that the job candidate is serious about the job application and is willing to put in the effort to achieve what they want.

9. Hone Your Interview Skills

Of course, accepting your application isn’t the end of the road. In many cases, you’ll need to do anywhere between 3 to 4 interviews before you’re hired for a job.

For that reason, working on your interview skills in the lag period can dramatically improve your chances of landing the job you like.

The best thing here is interview skills are transferable, so they can benefit you beyond the scope of the particular interview you’re preparing for!

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 3 Months Enough Time to Find a Job?

Statistically speaking, 3 months is usually enough time to find a job if you’re a solid candidate with good qualifications and years of experience in your field.

However, some fields and jobs may take up to 6 months to land a decent job, so it may take longer to get one.

How Long is it OK to Be Unemployed?

The answer varies depending on the type and nature of your job. Yet, it’s usually okay to stay jobless for up to 3 or 4 months.

Beyond that point, employers may require a solid explanation for the “gap period” in your resume.

Wrapping Up

There you have it! With this simple guide, you now have a better understanding of the time necessary to find a job.

Ideally, it takes up to 6 or 8 months to find a suitable job, although factors like experience, economy, and demand may highly impact the overall time.

If you have any thoughts or questions, don’t hesitate to share them with us in the comments below!

Leave a Comment

Back to all Posts

Explore More within MyJobSearch

My Job Search
Get to work faster with jobs for felons curated for you.
post explore
post explore

Explore Resumes

Browse our templates to find one that matches your personality.