Where on earth are these commenters applying? I can see getting turned down some if you don't have much experience, but 300 and 600 resumes handed out? Either you come across as a horrible potential employee or you're applying for jobs you're fantastically unqualified for. But what do I know, I only had 2 jobs before starting my own business and I've never gotten more than a dozen applicants before finding a suitable one and filling the position.

If you're in a major city applying for a survival level job, it's not unreasonable that someone could crank out a couple of hundred resumes in a month. Like you said, you get a dozen or so before you fill the position, that means everyone else who applies has to try somewhere else. That includes the people who show up a couple days later only to be told 'Sorry the position has been filled'.

You should see some of the "winners" people have sent me. I know people want to move up in the world, but listing your babysitting degree and its use as your only employment (at age 23) isn't going to land you that much coveted position as a freight brokerage coordinator. I gave her am interview, but largely for my own entertainment.