Below is a chart of my job application track record during the last semester of college. First round means whether the company responded to my resumé, second round was usually a phone screen, and third round was an on-site interview.

Legend:

• A – passed
• B – wait-listed then given an offer
• C – didn’t pass
• D – withdrew application

Some interesting things to note:

• I made all these applications during the second semester of my senior year of college. I skipped the main recruiting season in the fall because I was seriously considering journalism. Spring semester rolls around and I was freaking out about what the hell I was going to do after graduation especially when many of my friends were fully in senior slump mode. Hence my long, promiscuous list.
• I accepted Linkshare’s offer even though the pay difference between them and the highest salary was significant. But I knew I was more interested in tech than finance so the decision was easy.
• I got a “wait-listed” type of offer from a big bank. Most companies do this implicitly, ie they’ll make candidates wait a bit while they wait to hear back from their first choice candidates. So this bank was actually good for being explicit and upfront about it.