Ask HN: Re-sending job application Hi, I'm seeing job postings by some of the companies I applied say last month, hiring for the same position. I guess they didn't find a suitable candidate. If they didn't reply the first time I applied, does it make sense to re-apply? I mean they (should) already have my CV and everything. What would you do? thanks |
In all cases, I applied as you have done. But received no response, and continued to see adverts. So I did the following..
1. I was honest with myself and considered whether or not this was a role I could really do. If I had any doubt, it may be showing in my application.
2. I researched their recruitment process and highlighted every individual that may be involved in the recruitment process. I compiled a list of their e-mails, addresses and phone numbers.
3. I compiled an application pack that consisted of the following. And when writing this, I would look back over ads.. company statements.. etc.. and use the same sorts of keywords to back up my points.
a) An introduction letter that told them I was interested and why (think about evocative words like 'passion', 'ambition' and 'commitment').
b) A CV (ask 10 people about what to do here and you'll get 10 opinions..)
c) A 'requirement fulfillment' document in which you go through every requirement in the job ad, and provide a short paragraph about why you can fulfill it.
d) Include examples of whatever the job is, from real life previous role experience. Project Management? Show a real life RAID. Coder? Show some code. Product Manager? Show them a launch plan
e) Include an example of something that relates to the role, that you did in your own personal time.
4. I would send a copy CCd and addressed to all the parties via e-mail.
5. I would hand deliver a paper copy to parties I thought were particularly important (team leaders/managers etc.) and if I couldn't see them, I would insist the reception let them know I had hand delivered it in an attempt to demonstrate how keen I was.
6. I would follow up with a phone call to the first party in the application stage (recruitment manager.. hr.. etc.) to see what they thought?
..Every time I've done this, I've been offered an interview. As long as I've been honest with myself that I can do the job, I'm always offered the role.
Good luck! :)
And the one time I tried emailing someone directly they just write back to apply through their website.
Sometimes you just have to take a chance. For example, if you're working as a project manager then their will probably be a 'Director of x' then a 'head of x' > 'team leader of x' > member of team and so on. I say, why not send an e-mail to them all?
Some will discard the e-mail. But one may pass it on. If you have the resources, hand deliver this stuff to someone 'senior enough'. A director may ignore it, but a 'head of' or 'team leader' may take it more seriously.
I'm not talking about harassing people frequently. Just playing a numbers game.
In terms of what their e-mails are.. it, again, is a guessing game. However, most businesses use the same format. So start by looking for one individuals e-mail. For example, if you can find john.smith@company.com you can guess that joe.bloggs@company.com will also work.
Just remember that the team you will be working in, probably has people who hate being there. Managers of these people would kill to have someone as enthusiastic as you may be.
Good luck!
Basic rule of thumb-- the bigger the company, the dumber they are... and less likely to care about job applicant experience. Imagine treating paying customers this way, it's tremendously shortsighted.
Job board postings can automatically renew month-to-month. The flunky HR Admin in charge might be sloppy or forgetful. And sometimes a position is considered 'open' until the new hire actually starts. The delay can take weeks, even months. Meanwhile, stuff happens.
What to do?
If you're keen about the job and certain it's a solid match, meaning you've got the skills & experience they require. Look up the Hiring Manager (Linkedin's advanced search feature is a great tool for this) - send them a brief note. Pro-Tip, using their actual business email is best. InMails have a dismal open rate.
Incidentally, here's good read on job searching during the holidays> http://www.pbs.org/newshour/making-sense/ask-the-headhunter-....
One strong signifier that a company cares little about job applicant experience is requiring you to use BrassRing or a similar recruiting portal. I'm sure BR makes things easier on HR professionals but it's clunky and frustrating for applicants.
The best way I've ever applied for a job online was with a small company that just had a simple list (nothing flashy, basic HTML) of their current job openings with an invitation to submit your resume to their recruiter (who was actually specified by name!). Brutally simple and effective.
What I would suggest is apply again, but change your cover letter - try to show that you are super, super keen.
If you got no response the last time, the best thing you can do is identify a relevant member of the hiring team on LinkedIn and send them a polite email asking if they had an opportunity to review your application (include a copy of your CV again just in case).
If you hear nothing back from that follow-up then you've successfully identified a company you don't want to work for!