It’s a Fact: Remote Software Engineer Jobs Receive 1,000+ Applicants Each

Here’s what to do about it, whether you’re a hiring manager or a professional software engineer looking for a better job.

Dr. Derek Austin 🥳
Career Programming

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This is the job market for remote software engineers. Good luck! 🤞🍀 Photo by Ashim D’Silva on Unsplash

According to my LinkedIn feed, remote software engineers hunting for a new job feel like giving up after a few hundred applications.

That’s clearly wrong based on simple math, and I don’t want to hear the HR BS about “you should target a small set of employers who are a great fit.”

As author Dr. Andre Martin explains in his 2023 book Wrong Fit, Right Fit, it’s impossible to find out if a job will be a good fit before you interview.

The reality in today’s world is that any remote software engineer job will receive 1,000+ applicants within its first week of being posted.

I saw this personally, when a mid-level (not senior) remote software engineer job I posted received 271 applicants within 36 hours.

(I had contacted another 200 applicants personally myself through LinkedIn, but that was a total wash — not one was actually interested.)

If you need more proof, sign up for the free trial of LinkedIn Premium or just read your LinkedIn feed: remote jobs get 1,000+ applicants…

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Dr. Derek Austin 🥳
Career Programming

I write about real-world programming career advice, MongoDB vs. PostgreSQL, Git, React, JavaScript, VS Code, TypeScript, and Next.js. Doctor of Physical Therapy