Getting a job is a realization of a random variable
TL;DR: Job seekers — don’t get frustrated by rejections. Work on ‘controllable factors’ to maximize your chances. If you already have job — focus on defining and maximizing your value.
University search
To me “person A getting an admit from university B” is a realization of a random variable. More often that not, the decision doesn’t match either the most likely or the most ‘utility’ outcome of an (decently- or well-)informed model.
Before I submitted my grad school applications in 2017–18 I wanted to select a limited number of universities in an (data-)informed way so that my (myopic) notion of “value” was maximized. (There are more undocumented challenges, but I digress). So, I scraped data and analyzed the relationship between GPA, GRE General score, TOEFL/IELTS score, work experience in years, number of publications, and accept/reject decisions made by different universities (data comprised mostly of Indian students and professionals, discounting LoRs and SoPs). Though there was some importance to merit (for setting the bar) at each university, once over the bar the relationship between the final decision and merit was much weaker.
Here’s a thought experiment: Imagine there’s a prestigious university program X that accepts only 100 students. Imagine the ideal outgoing candidate from that program, and 101 candidates with such a stellar profile apply to ENTER the program. Also, assume ALL other candidates have a lower merit than those 101 candidates. You get the point… (I’m intentionally avoiding deeper philosophical discussions).
Job search
Though I don’t have the data to back my claims, the outcome of hiring for an open position at a company is quite similar. While merit plays a role, there are several (undocumented) factors that affect the outcome of a candidate applying to a company - very few of these can be controlled by the candidate.
In conclusion, if you are a job seeker - don’t get frustrated by rejections (your qualifications and qualities only play a small role in the unfavorable decision if you had the chance to interview). Work on ‘controllable factors’ (most are company specific) to maximize your chances. I’m happy to help wherever possible (note: this is voluntary; I will never ask for money. I’m already trying to add value to a few job seekers, my free time is limited. Once you have a job I will probably transition the time on others who need help). If you already have a job — focus on defining and maximizing your value (ideally by yourself, don’t handover control to career coaches and others who demand money).
How not to fall below the bar while applying? Here are my inputs:
(Data science specific) A few factors that give a small competitive advantage over other candidates:
