CareerFair-Shikhar Sachdev: “Applying to jobs online is like navigating a maze. Amidst the special torture that is resume parsing software, the inability to reuse information across different application tracking systems (ATS), and the existence of a certain company that rhymes with every day of the week, it can get pretty frustrating. I wanted to explore what factors make a job application more or less frustrating. For example, what industries have the worst application processes? Do big companies ask for more information than small companies? What is it about websites like Workday that make them really hard to use? To answer these questions, I applied to 250 jobs. One by one. Click by click. No Linkedin Easy Apply, no shortcuts – just straight from the careers page. I timed how long it took me to go from “apply to job” to “submit application”.

• See also Wired – Job Hunting Sucks. This Programmer Filled Out 250 Applications to Find Out Why – Shikhar Sachdev wanted to reveal what made the process so draining—so he spent 11 hours filling applications. Now he has tips for both job seekers and hiring managers.