We all have our dream job. But everyone has their dream job, too, and it’s often the same as yours. It’s the reason why competition for the best jobs and the best firms is on the rise.
So, what kind of number are you up against? This latest study from Resume.io answers that question. Using data collected from LinkedIn, it looks at how many people are applying for jobs at the best companies in the USA.
And it also looks at the other end of the scale, highlighting the US companies where you’re guaranteed to get that first interview. However, as you’ll find out below, you may not want to work there.
The most competitive US companies for job applicants
Modern workers are still interested in earning good money. However, they want more than just a paycheck. Increasingly, people are looking for companies that align with their personal values and lifestyles. They want to work somewhere where they can earn a living while still enjoying their actual life.
So where can people find this ideal balance between pay, working conditions, and their personal life? Many are looking for it at the USA’s biggest tech companies.
Big firms like Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, and Apple top the list of the most competitive companies to find work for. On average, they receive between 50 and 80 job applications for every vacancy, every single day.
But none of them receive as many CVs as US streaming giant Netflix. With 84.47 applications per job, per day, Netflix is the most competitive company for job seekers.
And the high demand comes down to the 21st-century ideal of work/life balance. Netflix pays its staff well and offers many opportunities to grow and learn. But here’s the great thing about working at Netflix: you can do it all in your own time.
There’s no such thing as the 9-5 life at Netflix. It urges staff to work smarter, not harder. Productivity is what matters. As long as tasks are completed, Netflix employees can work when (or as much) as they want.
The least competitive companies to work for in the USA
Life is very different for those working in the US food service and retail industries.
The staff are expected to clock in on time and clock out not a second before quitting time. Hours are long, the pay is low, and staff spend most of the day managing the demands and expectations of a hungry general public.
Doesn’t sound great, does it?
“It’s absolutely relentless,” said one frustrated food service worker. “I have to work 70+ hours a week just to meet basic living costs. And this is one of those industries where some people feel like they have a right to be rude to you. We put up with a lot for very little.”
These tough working conditions for low pay are the major reasons why the service industries are having such a hard time recruiting staff. In fact, almost no one wants to work there.
Popular US restaurant chains like Applebee’s, Zaxby’s, and Chili’s have fewer than 1 person apply per job per day. That makes them the most understaffed and least competitive companies for workers in the US job market.
