Resources

Oxbow Bend, Snake River

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

How Many Applications & When You’ll Hear Back

Kelcy Fowler

There’s some real wisdom to the old saying, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” A lot like an easter egg hunt, there is an abundance of enticing and exciting job opportunities on CoolWorks – and our advice is to take a shot at any and all of those that strike your fancy. It’s a lot more exciting to see multiple emails coming in with potential adventure options than to be patiently waiting for one from the only employer to whom you’ve applied!

Remember that applying for a job is essentially expressing interest in that opportunity and employer – it’s not yet a commitment to going and doing, but it is an indication to an employer that you are seriously interested in spending your time and energy at that location. But some employers are better than others at quickly responding, and you’ve got plans to make! So in order to make as many opportunities as possible available for yourself, we recommend you do some research, identify the employers and job types that appeal to you most, apply as early as possible, and cast a wide net!

Important Tip: Make sure to keep a log of which employers you’ve applied to, the hiring contact info, what job you applied for, and the date!

After you apply, when can you expect to hear something? We wish we could give you a definitive answer. Different employers’ hiring practices are as varied as the stripes on a zebra, and they all do it a bit differently. If it’s been a few weeks, and you haven’t heard back, pull out that handy log you created (Click that link above for guidance!) and give a friendly call or send an email asking for an update on the status of your application and if the empoyer can provide a timeline for when you should expect to receive an update. The waiting game can be frustrating – but take a deep breath and know that many employers are sorting through hundreds of applications. All the more reason to take the time to submit a quality application (double check your grammar and punctuation) and do your best to give clear and concise answers. Give yourself the best shot at scoring that dream job!