if the response rate is 0%, sure. but you find that out pretty quick, if you're actually sending applications instead of, as suggested here, reading automated responses. Sure, send out 100 emails and if you don't get 17-20 responses, you've got a problem.
But the "solution" suggested here is far worse.
It suggests to me that this person DOES have a 20% response rate, but then is waiting around for that 1 application per week that they send.
This is insanity itself (unless it is a ceo or high level director or other extremely, extremely scarce position with a hugely different funnel. same if you know someone, obv.)
I mean, just think it through. Imagine that the OP here is really lucky, because it turns out statistically that he has a 15% response rate (his phone rings 15 times every time he sends 100 applications), an 80% interview rate (80% of the time his phone rings, they ask a few questions and call him in) and a 75% second interview rate, and a 100% offer rate at the end of the second interview, and a 20% great-offer rate out of those offers - really, top of the market.
This is a great position to be in. All you have to do is send enough applications in, and the only thing stopping you is the fact that you are sifting through all this crap that the funnel gives you.
If I didn't have a job, which I do, I would not mind sending thirty emails today, thirty tomorrow, and thirty the day after (in the mean while the phone has rung 15 times), going in to 12 interviews and 8 second interviews, and getting a selection of 2 fantastic jobs to choose from.
Meanwhile, the OP can have the very same response rate, 15%, and spend 5 weeks on 5 applications, waiting to hear back. In fact, this results in only 55.62% chance of hearing back from a single person at the end of all 5 weeks (the formula is 1-0.85^5). And that's just step 1 of his funnel.
so of course he will be frustrated if he doesn't hear back from that one person. oh well, he's going about it wrong.
as the OP stated his case, I do believe his only problem is too small reach. Not, as you suggest, a 0% response rate.
Of course, if you do find that (after 3 days nobody gets back to you out of the 28+37+26 applications) instead of the 10-20 that you expected, then you change your strategy. This also reduces your down-time, because you are never "waiting", and if on day 4 the three previous days turn out to have had some lead time but you get 20 calls, so much the better. :)
But the "solution" suggested here is far worse.
It suggests to me that this person DOES have a 20% response rate, but then is waiting around for that 1 application per week that they send.
This is insanity itself (unless it is a ceo or high level director or other extremely, extremely scarce position with a hugely different funnel. same if you know someone, obv.)
I mean, just think it through. Imagine that the OP here is really lucky, because it turns out statistically that he has a 15% response rate (his phone rings 15 times every time he sends 100 applications), an 80% interview rate (80% of the time his phone rings, they ask a few questions and call him in) and a 75% second interview rate, and a 100% offer rate at the end of the second interview, and a 20% great-offer rate out of those offers - really, top of the market.
This is a great position to be in. All you have to do is send enough applications in, and the only thing stopping you is the fact that you are sifting through all this crap that the funnel gives you.
If I didn't have a job, which I do, I would not mind sending thirty emails today, thirty tomorrow, and thirty the day after (in the mean while the phone has rung 15 times), going in to 12 interviews and 8 second interviews, and getting a selection of 2 fantastic jobs to choose from.
Meanwhile, the OP can have the very same response rate, 15%, and spend 5 weeks on 5 applications, waiting to hear back. In fact, this results in only 55.62% chance of hearing back from a single person at the end of all 5 weeks (the formula is 1-0.85^5). And that's just step 1 of his funnel.
so of course he will be frustrated if he doesn't hear back from that one person. oh well, he's going about it wrong.
as the OP stated his case, I do believe his only problem is too small reach. Not, as you suggest, a 0% response rate.
Of course, if you do find that (after 3 days nobody gets back to you out of the 28+37+26 applications) instead of the 10-20 that you expected, then you change your strategy. This also reduces your down-time, because you are never "waiting", and if on day 4 the three previous days turn out to have had some lead time but you get 20 calls, so much the better. :)