"Job application" can refer to either the forms and formats used to apply for a job or to the process of applying for a targeted job. Most employment resources counsel prospective job applicants to carefully apply only to the employment opportunities that best match their professional backgrounds and to follow up with employers politely and expeditiously. However, choosing the target is only the first step toward hitting it. A common additional job application challenge is to get feedback from the employer about how good the "shot" at getting a shot has been-often with only deafening silence as the only clue.

In some instances, the reason for a lack of response is insufficient resources; in others, it is insufficient consideration. When common courtesy or respect appears to be lacking, the job search can become an even more frustrating, uncertain and time-consuming process that, in any event, demands intense planning, persistence and personal grit-while keeping pessimism in check.