I've been wondering, how much time can a person reasonably spend per day looking for a job? I've heard some sources say that you should treat it like a full time job. But I don't see how thats possible. There are only so many new job postings in a given radius/area within any general category per day.

I graduated with my 4 year degree (Accounting) almost 3 months ago. And I can only spend, at most, 20 minutes per day looking at the different job sites and applying for anything that I am qualified for (which is next-to-nothing, since I have no accounting work experience) and that includes positions in a white-collar environment that has almost nothing to do with my field, like data entry, administrative assistants, etc. I'm wondering if the job market is still very tough or if there's something I'm missing. I don't think I have ever gotten a call back from anywhere.

If things don't get better, I will settle for just about anything that at least involves working in an office environment. What I will NOT do is settle for any menial job at all (mcdonalds, retail, you get the idea). I didn't consider college when I finished high school because I always thought it was too expensive for something you might not need. But then I worked a dead-end job in manufacturing for years before I eventually worked up the nerve to make serious plans for college because the indignity was unbearable. And I can't stand being surrounded all day by the kind of morons I went to high school with. I would have killed myself by now if I kept that up, literally. So anybody that wants to tell me that no job is beneath me and I should change my attitude and bla bla bla can go stuff it right now.

And before you ask, sites like LinkedIn are completely useless for me. I don't personally know any other students or professors. I mostly kept to myself throughout college. And it would be very awkward to look up their names and ask for an invite when they might not even remember who I am. And relocation is impossible because without a job or a credit rating, obviously I can't rent an apartment.

The good news is that I still have enough money in both my bank account and my grandparent's inheritance to keep me going for at least a year, if not more.

Lets see...for my first job, it took me 2-3 months, and this was after shotgunning my resume everywhere, even at postings that were very somewhat kind of related to my major (chemistry). After being fired by corporate (they wanted to remove all temp. workers), it took me another 2-3 months to land my current job, which even then it is now sorta related.

I ended up using monster, career builder, and just doing general google inquiries. Most likely, you'll be picked up by a head hunting agency, who will help you find something. Definitely keep your eye out for full time positions or contract-to-hire.

i would not look at it in terms of ratios, hours spent each day, but instead partition the process.

Start of by making a list of potential places of employment, then contact them. First by phone, then follow up phone calls with an email (if they direct you to do so), then show up in person.

Always show up in person, regardless of the situation (many employees will try to get you off their backs by referring you to an online application), and ask to speak with the manager. be professional about it.

hand the manager a cover letter and a resume if possible, and try to get a physical application.

be persistent and be confident. try small and local business as they're probably going to be easier to get hired by (in the sense that you have the opportunity to have an earnest conversation with a hiring manager as opposed to a corporate gear grinder who sees your online application as nothing more than unfun work load).

There is no reason why you cant get a job with an accounting degree, with only 4 years it would not be as fast as if you had a masters degree, but EVERY BUSINESS needs an accountant. Regardless if their making money or losing it.

if you want to improve on the lack of work experience, do an internship. internships probably don't amount to much to most hiring employers, but having some hands on knowledge will improve your vocabulary (meaning you'll use common phrases and terms used in that kind of work place, it is subconscious but you will sound like you belong in the work place because you have already been there. Only you weren't getting paid for it) when you have that earnest conversation.

You can search for open jobs on LinkedIn so there's no reason you shouldn't be on it.

And try looking for temp positions and temp agencies.

i got my job 6 months later

Maybe you can start off enthusiastically looking for a few hours every day but once your soul has been crushed just give it 20 minutes to 30 minutes a day. Make sure to do things in the morning. The early bird catches the worm so to speak. Sign up for employment agency's and make sure to check every day. Use sites like Total jobs and Monster whatever does your area really.
Don't be expecting any. It's only on the rare occasion companies have the common bare minimum decency to say piss off. If you've not heard from x employer within a week it's safe to assume you've not got the role. Now I am not sure how your accounting degree will affect the table because I know a fair number of people with good qualifications that are equally in the [censored] due to the current jobs market. Just persevere and show initiative wherever you can.

I've been out of work pretty much since I left school two years ago so I know how depressing it can get not having a job and not being able to find one. My best suggestion (at least it worked for me personally) is still try and enjoy yourself. If you're feeling stressed out from all the searching and anxiety just take a break from searching and clear your mind and to those people who say you should treat it like a full time job then i'd say try doing that for a month. Then get back to me with the same attitude. I've seen news stories of people who literally apply for thousands of jobs in a year and I just sit there like... 'really?... really?' if I did that the soul crushing setbacks after setbacks would most certainly have driven me to suicide by now! D:

For a good rate of job application try and apply for 5-10 in a week. Some day's I will just spend a couple minutes looking around online so I suppose it is all preference.

Depends on how hungry you are

I spent awhile looking for a job after college. Then I talked to a recruiter and shipped out in like 3 weeks. Best decision ever. I really don't think there's any easier way to get a job. Pass a physical and you're in. (Well it's getting harder, and recruiting is slowing down, but still).

The job market is still terrible. That being said, there are several things you can do to increase your chances of landing a good job.

1. Customize your cover letter for every job that you really want. Make sure you demonstrate exactly what the company will gain by hiring you - and not some boilerplate "I will work hard" stuff. Research the company and figure out how them hiring you is a win-win situation.
2. Networking is also crucial. As some have suggested, LinkedIn is a good resource for this.
3. As others have mentioned, showing up in person is crucial as well.

Biggest piece of advice: don't be picky. My record for finding work was one hour after I walked into a temp agency and said, "I'll do anything legal". They put me to work mostly doing reception work and I even spent a week doing nothing but filing, but finding a job is like finding a girl/boyfriend: when you already have one, it's easier to find another, because it shows you are desirable.

Plus, of course, you can always move around in your organisation. One person was an IT consultant who lost his job and - taking anything - got a very lowly admin job which he did for a year. Then an opening arose in his company's IT department and since they already knew him, he was a shoe-in for the job. Another person was a very experienced accountant and she again took a job as an admin assistant, and did that for about eight months. A finance manager's position came up and she got the job right away. Never think that a job is beneath you - at worst, it's a stepping stone.

haven't read any of the thread except your original post, but I can tell you this: Even if a place doesn't have an ad in the paper, doesn't mean you shouldn't apply. You never know when a place might be starting to look and just hasn't bothered to place an ad yet, or maybe they'll like your qualifications and give you a shot in a small area regardless of whether or not they really need you. When I was younger and looking for jobs, I'd put in about 15 applications a day, and I did so until I had covered every single workable job in a 45 mile radius that I was remotely qualified for.