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Whats the point of electronic job appliccations
BrotherVoodoo
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
From personal and 2nd hand experience have told me they don't work, so if companies don't give a shit, why do they even have these sites?
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On the other hand, there is a lot to be said for walking up to a person, handing them your application, and smiling at them and shaking their hand.
but they're listening to every word I say
The main thing to remember, is to treat it like a paper application.
Give them a follow-up call a week later.
What is the aim of the follow-up call? Who am I aiming to speak to when I call? What should I be saying?
I don't mean to thread hijack or anything...
For the follow up call it depends on what kind of company/job you've applied to. For something like retail, generally you'd ask to speak to the manager. For something like a corporate job, you'd probably ask to speak the human resources department.
As for what to say, "Hello, I'm <insert name>, I applied for <position> and wanted to see if you've had a chance to review my resume." Or whatever, just let them know you're interested and try to setup an interview.
Calling, for the most part, gives you a leg up on those who don't call.
It shows initiative, which employers like.
They are especially popular with large companies that get a lot of speculative applications.
Been here about five years.
Of course, I did write a proper cover letter and sent it to my former boss. I suspect that's why I got noticed and hired.
Since your application is sure to go through an automatic filter, make sure you have the proper buzzwords. Automatic filters cannot pick up on nice-sounding waffle like "Dedicated self-starter", so make a special resume with things like "Proficient in C, C++, C#, and Objective C" or whatever is appropriate to your profession.
Other things such as being in the military also raises your ranking.
So to answer your question:
Its because it's easier for the people doing the recruiting and they can potentially 'store' your CV for reference later.
If you're complaining because it feels like nothing happens when you apply - then you may be right. The flipside is that it becomes VERY easy for anyone to apply when you make it easy like this. So, you need to do something to set yourself apart.
I've just relocated countries and the job market s slow at the moment. So, my first rule is that I NEVER apply without making a call first (where possible). I had to get creative with this in finding the number - quite often I knew the general agency responsible, so I'd call reception (from their listing) and ask to speak to the person covering job ref: whatever. Ask a silly question like "where exactly is the position based?" Whatever - make it intelligent. You'll always be asked to send your CV through, but at least now you can get access to their direct email and say something like "as per our discussion" or "as requested, please find attached, my current resume".
This will at least make you stand out - especially if you're qualified and strike up a rapport with the recruiter.
dream a little dream or you could live a little dream
sleep forever if you wish to be a dreamer
Yeah, at some job fairs these days I wonder if the HR people are even that, and not just some low level employee being made to go to those events and just given a set of words to say to applicants.
One thing you can do is make sure you use a PDF instead of a word document when applying online where applicable. Sometimes you have it all nice in a word format, then it gets all screwed up when you apply.
I hate those.
If they specifically ask for no calls, definitely do not call. It's rude.