You see it on every second job post. That little gray or blue text sitting right under the job title that says over 100 people clicked apply. It’s intimidating. Honestly, it’s enough to make most people just close the tab and go get a coffee instead. Why bother, right? If a hundred people already threw their hat in the ring, you’re basically fighting for a seat on a life raft that’s already full. Or so it seems.
The reality is way messier.
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LinkedIn is a powerhouse for networking, but their data metrics are often misunderstood by the very people they are meant to help. When you see that a massive crowd has supposedly applied for that Senior Marketing role in Austin or that Remote Developer gig, you aren't necessarily looking at a list of 100 qualified candidates. You're looking at a click counter.
The Truth About the Click Counter
Let’s get one thing straight: LinkedIn doesn't always know if someone actually finished the application.
When a job is posted with an "Apply" button that redirects you to a company’s external career site (like Workday, Greenhouse, or Lever), LinkedIn loses track of you the moment you leave their platform. They track the click, not the submission. This is a massive distinction.
Think about your own behavior. How many times have you clicked "Apply," seen a five-page application form that requires you to re-type your entire resume, and then immediately closed the window? You're not alone. Recruitment data suggests that "drop-off rates" on external career sites can be as high as 70% to 90%.
So, that over 100 people clicked apply metric might actually represent only 10 or 20 people who actually finished the process. LinkedIn is counting the curious, the accidental clickers, and the people who took one look at the cover letter requirement and bolted.
Easy Apply vs. External Links
There is a caveat here. If the job uses "Easy Apply," the number is much more accurate. In those cases, the application happens natively on LinkedIn. The platform knows for a fact that the "Submit" button was pressed.
But even then, quality is a huge factor. Recruiters frequently report that for every 100 "Easy Apply" candidates, a staggering percentage are completely unqualified. We're talking about people applying for Lead Engineering roles who have never written a line of code, or people in different countries who don't have the required work visas.
Why Companies Keep the Numbers Visible
You might wonder why LinkedIn even shows this number if it's so discouraging. It’s about "Social Proof."
In marketing, social proof is the idea that people follow the lead of others. If a job has a high number of applicants, it signals to the market that this is a desirable place to work. It’s a bit of a psychological trick. It creates a sense of urgency. It makes you think, "I better apply now before even more people jump in."
But for the job seeker, it backfires. It creates "application fatigue."
The Recruiter’s Perspective on Massive Applicant Pools
I’ve talked to dozens of internal recruiters at mid-sized tech firms and Fortune 500 companies. Do you know what they say when they see over 100 people clicked apply?
"I hope at least five of them are actually qualified."
They aren't looking at a pile of 100 perfect resumes. They are looking at a mountain of noise. Most Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) are designed to filter this noise, but they aren't perfect. If you are a truly qualified candidate, your resume isn't competing with 100 people. It’s likely competing with five or six others who also meet the core requirements.
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The Myth of the "First 48 Hours"
There is a common belief that if you aren't in the first 10 applicants, you're invisible. That's mostly nonsense. While applying early is good, recruiters don't just stop looking once they hit 100 clicks. They keep the posting live until they have a "slate" of candidates to interview.
If the first 100 people are a bad fit, the recruiter is going to be incredibly relieved when applicant number 101—who actually has the right experience—finally shows up.
How to Beat the Crowd When the Numbers are High
If you see that over 100 people clicked apply, you need a different strategy. You can't just be another "Easy Apply" statistic.
First, skip the "Apply" button for a second. Go to the "People" tab on the company's LinkedIn page. Find someone who would be your peer or your manager. Send them a brief, non-creepy note. Something like: "Hey, I just saw the opening for the UX role. I’ve been following your team’s work on [Project X] and just submitted my app. Would love to chat if you have a lead on what the team is looking for."
It works because it bypasses the "100 clicks" filter. You become a person, not a data point.
Second, tailor your resume specifically for the keywords in the job description. If the posting mentions "Agile Project Management" three times and it’s not on your resume, the ATS might bury you before a human ever sees your name.
When Should You Actually Worry?
Is there ever a time when the high applicant count matters? Yes.
If the job is for a highly visible, entry-level role at a "glamour" company (think Google, Disney, or Nike), those 100+ clicks likely do translate into hundreds of actual applications. In those specific niches, the competition is genuinely that high.
But for most roles—accounting, mid-level management, specialized trades, or regional sales—the number is a ghost. It’s a reflection of interest, not competition.
Understanding the "Promoted" Tag
Ever notice how some jobs stay at the top of your feed with over 100 people clicked apply for weeks? That’s because the company is paying to keep it there.
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If a company is paying to promote a job that already has "100+ applicants," it’s a massive red flag that they haven't found what they're looking for yet. If they had found their candidate in that first 100, they would have stopped spending money on the ad. This is actually a green light for you to apply. It means the "crowd" didn't have the right person.
Moving Past the Intimidation Factor
Psychologically, seeing high numbers triggers our "flight" response. We assume the market is too saturated. We assume we aren't good enough.
Stop looking at the applicant count as a scoreboard. It’s a traffic report. Just because there are 100 cars on the highway doesn't mean you won't get to your destination; it just means there’s a lot of movement.
Focus on the "Job Fit" score if you have LinkedIn Premium, or better yet, ignore the metrics entirely and focus on the quality of your outreach. A single referral is worth more than being the first person in a pool of 500 applicants.
Actionable Next Steps for High-Volume Job Posts
Don't let a simple UI element stop your career progress. Here is exactly what to do next time you see that 100+ label:
- Verify the Source: Click the apply button to see where it leads. If it goes to an external site, breathe a sigh of relief. The "real" applicant count is likely much lower than LinkedIn claims.
- Analyze the Posting Date: If the job was posted 24 hours ago and already has 100 clicks, it’s likely a "bot" or "one-click" frenzy. If it was posted 30 days ago and has 100 clicks, the company is struggling to find the right fit and is probably desperate for a qualified resume.
- Optimize for the ATS: Use a tool like JobScan or simply read the JD closely. Ensure your top-level skills match their top-level requirements. This ensures you survive the automated "cull" that happens when applicant volume is high.
- Find the Hiring Manager: This is the most important step. Use the "About" section or the "People" tab to identify the likely boss for this role. Send a Connection Request with a personalized 300-character note.
- Check Other Platforms: Often, a company will post the same job on Indeed, ZipRecruiter, and their own site. Sometimes the applicant count is only high on LinkedIn because of the platform's ease of use. Applying through the company's direct portal often gets you seen faster.
The number of people who clicked apply is a distraction. It's a metric designed for engagement, not for your personal career planning. Treat it as background noise and focus on the one thing that actually gets people hired: proving you can solve the specific problem the company is currently facing.