Average jobseeker has applied for 16 roles during coronavirus pandemic, poll says

Many of those polled felt their self esteem had been damaged by the task

Those who applied for jobs via LinkedIn admitted to checking the site four times a day to see if they’d received a response  (Getty Images)

The average jobseeker has applied unsuccessfully for 16 different roles during the coronavirus pandemic, dampening confidence and leading to people lying to loved ones, a poll has claimed.

A survey of 2,000 employed and unemployed adults currently looking for a job found eight in 10 had attributed a downturn in their mental wellbeing to the search for a new role.

Many felt their motivation had been damaged by the process, as well as their self esteem and morale.

Others had also seen their confidence levels nosedive thanks to their search for a new job.

The dampening in confidence resulted in more than one-quarter lying to friends or family members about how many roles they had applied for.

More than half kept quiet in fear they may get rejected later in the process, while others worried what their loved ones might think if they did not get the job.

The research, commissioned by BT Skills for Tomorrow, revealed that just 21 per cent felt confident in their ability to stand out and impress employers in an interview.

Meanwhile, only 22 per cent thought their CV and covering letter would get the notice of prospective employers over other applicants’.

As a result of these worries, more than one-third think thought friends and family purposely avoided asking how their job search was going because they knew they would not get a positive answer.

The survey, carried out via OnePoll, found that those who applied for jobs through LinkedIn checked their account four times per day to see if they had had a response.

A further one in 10 of those who said they used LinkedIn even admitted to anxiously browsing the site for updates from their work toilet.

Hannah Cornick, head of digital impact and sustainability at BT, said: “The global pandemic has had far-reaching consequences, and it’s only natural that jobseekers’ confidence will have been affected by the impact on businesses and the job market."

SWNS