I met a manager at a major bank who had taken a year from application to being hired. He was happy enough, he said sometimes these things just take a long time

I met a manager at a major bank who had taken a year from application to being hired. He was happy enough, he said sometimes these things just take a long time before the right opportunity comes up. By applying you get yourself in the queue and meet the relevant people. If you're looking for somewhere to work for potentially 5+ years delaying the start by a few months isn't great, but nor is it the end of the world.