Are you a recent college graduate and looking for your first professional-level career? Or have you spent one year in a part-time job and now want a full-time position?
As a job seeker, you should be networking and forging as many connections as possible to help you land your dream job. But what do you do if you’ve filled out an online job application and submitted your resume to a company?
1. follow up with HR
You might be saying, “Well I don’t know who to talk to in HR.” First, go back and look at the posting and re-read it to see if there is any contact information. If there is, pick up the phone and call them.
Additionally, you also likely received a confirmation email for applying online. Read the confirmation email to see if the hiring manager or HR contact is listed. If there is no contact information on the listing or confirmation email, visit the company’s Web site and try to dig up the phone number for Human Resources. If there is not a phone number for HR listed on the company website, call the main company phone number and ask to be connected to HR.
Once you’re connected, explain that you applied for job “XYZ” and wanted to confirm that they received your resume. If they say yes, say thank you and ask where they are in the process. This will give you an idea if you submitted your resume during the time period that they wanted to receive resumes, or if you applied after they had already “closed” their window for considering candidates.
Try to make this phone call one day after you’ve applied for the position. If you are unable to get anyone on the phone, leave a message with your contact information, and try back the next day. When you do get the person on the phone who’s in charge of screening candidates for the position, try to get their email information.
2. Figure out who you know
Ideally, before you even applied to a position at this company, you already knew that your neighbor three houses down from you has worked there for five years, and you’ve already talked to her to get any inside information you can about the company and position. In a perfect world, she knows the hiring manager for the position and can hand deliver or directly email your resume along with a personal note.
If you are applying for the job online and don’t think you know anyone at the company, go to LinkedIn. Search the company name and LinkedIn should tell you if you have any friends who have contacts at the company.
If you have a close friend that seems to have professional good contact, pick up the phone and talk to your friend about the possible connection. If your connection is more of an acquaintance, send them a direct message through LinkedIn explaining that you have applied for a position, and would appreciate any assistance getting your resume past HR. If this feels a little uncomfortable, that’s normal.
Just remember, most people will want to help you because they’ve likely been in your exact same position while job searching.
3. Send a follow up thank you email
Within five to seven days of talking to the correct HR person, send a polite follow-up email. This is the reason we suggested getting the email address in tip #1.
By sending an email inquiring how the process is progressing, you’ll demonstrate a polite persistence that most managers highlight as a desirable skill. This is not the time to complain about lack of a response after the confirmation email or blame the hiring manager for not keeping you updated. Rather, use this as an opportunity to remind them of your applicable experience and interest in the position.
The average online job posting receives roughly 250 resumes per job posting. But by implementing our 3 tips, you’ll be sure to show HR and the hiring manager that you’re the one they should hire for the job.
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