Applying On Companies Website

Is it just me that is frustrated with the following process?

So i see a job posting that i'm interest in
1. I create an account on the companies Jobsite page (10 minutes) * another password to remember

2. Upload my resume/CV but since their website doesn't autofill, i have to type out my last 5 positions (30 Minutes)
3. Provide 2 references. (5 minutes)
4. Type paragraph responses to behavioral based questions, achievements,etc (1.5 hour)
5. Submit and patiently wait for 8 weeks.

So this is 2.5 hours i've spent on just one job application and after 8 weeks of waiting i get a automated email saying "you were not selected in the process"

I've now decided that unless its a company that I really would like to work for and i mean the likes of (Google, Intel, Boeing, etc) i will refuse to fill out one of these applications again!! If its not a one click apply, them i'm sorry but i wont be working for your organisation.

Find more posts tagged with

Comments

TheFORCE

Yep, more and more companies do that. Makes no sense to me really. I rather find the HR recruiter for the company on LinkedIn and send them a message there and start the conversation that way, usually the same jobs have been posted on LinkedIn also.

BerkshireHerd

Please go to Linkedin or Forbes and read everything by Liz Ryan.

markulous

It's pretty bad when it's like that. I get having to fill out an application because it's you stating in writing that you did all of those things, but if it's that time consuming, it should really wait until at least they've had a phone interview with you and want to see you in person. Prior to that, a resume with some basic information should be sufficient.

mbarrett

I have never got a job by going through the company site. My last job I was recruited for, and the recruiter had me fill out the app on the site after I accepted their offer. I think it's mostly a formality for their HR.

dustervoice

The job I applied for wasn't on Linkedin but like i said i wont be wasting my time with this approach. Its just not worth it.

MeanDrunkR2D2

mbarrett wrote: »

I have never got a job by going through the company site. My last job I was recruited for, and the recruiter had me fill out the app on the site after I accepted their offer. I think it's mostly a formality for their HR.

I have. A few times to be honest.

For my newest job they don't put easy submissions to the jobs on the job boards, only a link to their advertised jobs which is a fraction of the jobs they have open. I had to do the annoying fill out stuff manually, but I did get an interview (phone was a week after I submitted) and then an in person interview almost a month after the date I filled out the form, and 2 weeks after that I got the offer from them which I accepted.

There were other companies that I did the same for and some either contacted me to say they selected someone else (6-8 weeks later) and some sent me a request to set up an interview which I politely declined because I already accepted this role.

BerkshireHerd

My most recent job, I interviewed, then filled out a paper application after receiving a offer.

Dojiscalper

I don't usually waste time with those either. I've done probably 100 of them through the years and have never been contacted by any. I've had much better luck with linkedin's one click apply, lol.

Lots of their online forms are so bugged they don't end up submitting anyway.

BradleyHU

I've definitely gotten many interviews from direct company websites with the ATS systems, but yes, they're very tidious. I do prefer the direct company sites that have the different job descriptions, but all you have to do is send an email to apply.

Russell77

In a way it weeds out people who are not willing to put effort into things. Yes it's long, yes the questions suck, yes most of the time it is a dead end. Every person who does not fill out the application is one less person you have to compete with for the position.

fmitawaps

On the rare occasion that I do the long way of applying somewhere, I only fill in the last job or two. Screw them, I'm not going to type out my whole life history. Read the resume, THAT'S WHAT IT'S THERE FOR!!!!!

To no one's surprise, I have rarely been called from any application I filled out like this.

networker050184

If a company wants me to upload my resume then fill out the same info in a stupid web form I just move on to something else.

dustervoice

BerkshireHerd wrote: »

Please go to Linkedin or Forbes and read everything by Liz Ryan.

Thanks done.. she publishes some great articles while i dont always agree with her she does have some interesting points.

EnderWiggin

I just got a new job, and I got it by going directly through the company's website. I didn't have to any do ridiculously long survey, either. I did have to upload my resume, and then fill out the job history, education, certifications, ect sections manually though. Took maybe ten minutes altogether.

The way I see it, if you're out of work, you have all the time in the world to apply to spend hours on job applications. But if you already have a job, you can apply only to jobs you really want, which makes it easier to accept having to spend a while filling out the application.

Priston

Some jobs you can't avoid having to fill out a profile. I apply to a couple of universities in my area from time to time. Initially they took some time to fill everything out. The second time you apply to a position, everything is already saved in your profile.

Also, copy paste is your friend. I'm sure you could bring that 3 hours to fill out a profile down to 10 mins if you tried.

dustervoice

Priston wrote: »

.

Also, copy paste is your friend. I'm sure you could bring that 3 hours to fill out a profile down to 10 mins if you tried.

Some of these jobs ask you give examples of a time when "blah blah blah" ... no copy and pasting there my friend.

DatabaseHead

@duster

Congrats you are learning! Just being funny....... But in all seriousness I gave that up years ago, it never led anywhere except pre IT when I applied for a sales position at AT&T and they had me hitting the streets trying to sell Uverse. Fail..... (Bait and switched)

I reach out to recruiters / talent aquisition from LinkedIn, Twitter etc and then follow up I find that my success rate is much higher getting interviews if I reach out first to a recruiter of that company and then follow the protocol.

Last thing..... I can't stress contacts and recommendations from others. I got my last job from a lady who I used to work with 10 years ago, and said I thought of you and always respected your work ethic. Brought me in hook line and sinker. Previous to that Indeed quick apply. No applications or forms, just read, attach resume and punt. Nice thing is I got to see their HR tracking system and it literally would take the resume and put it in most of the fields, they would then have you fill out the application and submit AFTER you were hired. Makes sense!

koz24

networker050184 wrote: »

If a company wants me to upload my resume then fill out the same info in a stupid web form I just move on to something else.

You could miss out on a great technical role though. Because most of these big companies with large HR departments are the ones that usually have you fill out form after form in addition to your resume. But the IT department is usually separated from the entire process.

koz24

dustervoice wrote: »

Is it just me that is frustrated with the following process?

So i see a job posting that i'm interest in
1. I create an account on the companies Jobsite page (10 minutes) * another password to remember
2. Upload my resume/CV but since their website doesn't autofill, i have to type out my last 5 positions (30 Minutes)
3. Provide 2 references. (5 minutes)
4. Type paragraph responses to behavioral based questions, achievements,etc (1.5 hour)
5. Submit and patiently wait for 8 weeks.

So this is 2.5 hours i've spent on just one job application and after 8 weeks of waiting i get a automated email saying "you were not selected in the process"

I've now decided that unless its a company that I really would like to work for and i mean the likes of (Google, Intel, Boeing, etc) i will refuse to fill out one of these applications again!! If its not a one click apply, them i'm sorry but i wont be working for your organisation.

Sorry you did not get this position, but by refusing to fill out all future applications you will only be hurting yourself. A lot of big companies are now doing this so you will be limiting yourself to a small pool of SMBs.

Just don't make it personal with HR, because it usually never is. Also try not to make the mistake of waiting on a position. If they're interested, they'll let you know fairly soon. The way I see it is, if they're interested, they'll reach out to me in 3-5 business days. If not, then I move on and look elsewhere.

Another thing you want to do is try to get a bunch of positions rolling at once. That way you can have multiple offers to choose from. I recently accepted an offer from a company and this other, much slower company, finally invited me to a panel interview(the last interview before the offer), and I had to decline it since I'd already be starting a new job before they even made an offer. Their loss.