When thinking about our previous post about seriously reconsidering your career, the New York Times article I referenced pointed out the incomprehensible number of applicants to a singular position (500, according to the article).

Those who are in the job market recognize that when you do apply for a job, you generally won’t be the only one who is looking at the same opportunity. In fact, it’s a safe bet that your resume or application will go against dozens of others, maybe more.

But if you are one of the lucky few who is called in for an interview, what does it truly mean when the employer tells you how many people applied to this position?

I’m not referring to the statement-in-passing, where the employer, typically at the end of the interview, tells you about their process. Usually, that entails them telling you that they did get many responses (no specific number) and that they have narrowed it down to interviewees, one, of which was you. That happens in almost every interview.

This is in reference to the interview starting things out with how many people applied, perhaps with a specific number. I’ve been asked what that means. It could be nothing. It could also be a red flag, stating to you, the interviewee, that you should thank your lucky stars they took the time to bring you in.

For the sake of your sanity should you get this position, you should definitely prepare some contingency questions to ask at the end of the interview. First, always ask why the previous individual left the organization. Most employers are surprisingly open about the reasons. However, some will get defensive and maybe not answer.

Also, if they already haven’t been laid out during the interview, be sure about their expectations of you. And write them down, so, if you are offered the position, you can go back to them and ask the employer about them, so that there are no discrepancies between their answer during the interview and during the offer contact.

If finding a good job is important to you, it is also just as important to ensure that you are in the type of environment that will allow you to succeed. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself stressed out and, before long, back on the job hunt where you started.