Coffee dates could combat a situation whereby two-thirds of jobseekers have applied for over 11 jobs, with a third of these never getting an interview, according to research by jobs board totaljobs.com.

The report shows low jobseeker confidence, with 27% not expecting to get a job within the next 12 months, and Scottish respondents the least confident of all.

The website’s recent barometer showed that in September there were an average of 23 applications for every jobs.

John Salt, director of totaljobs.com, advises jobseekers: “Don’t be shy, get in front of the employers, ask them for advice, take them for a coffee – you may get a personal recommendation. Finally it’s important to be flexible as it really is a recruiters market out there. This may mean compromising on pay and working conditions, or require relocation.”