Applied to an awesome sounding job with an online form, now what?

Anonymouse

So I applied to an awesome sounding job which I feel I am more than a perfect fit for. They did not want to receive resume/cover letter directly but rather people turned in an online application with resume attached. I did that. Now I was thinking of trying to contact someone there to somehow put in a good word for myself or give them a heads up on my app/resume. I did some digging and found a bunch of numbers for HR staff there. Good or bad idea to just call directly and start pimping myself out?

ehnde

That would be ok as long as it's just one time. For any job you're applying for it's likely you're applying against an average of 15 other candidates. So why not apply to 15 different jobs that you would really like to have?

westward

As long as a company doesn't say "NO CALLS, NO EMAILS ETC.." then I would surely give them a ring 5 days afterward.

I just sent in an app this morning and want to call perhaps Friday or Monday.

Submitting apps online is the worst thing the internet has done to the world. It's the most lonely, unsatisfying process.

It almost seems like most companies hire people they already know anyways, they just list jobs online to advertise their company, not to get new applicants.

Many companies are legally required to openly list jobs, even when they know they'll never hire outsiders. Disgruntantled, yes.

NetworkingStudent

ehnde wrote: »

That would be ok as long as it's just one time. For any job you're applying for it's likely you're applying against an average of 15 other candidates. So why not apply to 15 different jobs that you would really like to have?

+1
The economy just plain sucks, and there are tons of applicants for just one job. Just keep applying at other jobs, and know that this decision is in their hands now. I wouldn’t call HR, or anyone else at the company, not unless you got an interview. Stay busy and join user groups, study for certifications, volunteer in (IT), stay up to date in the latest technology trends, ect…..If you do even half of this you will have a leg up against other candidates when you apply for your next job.

undomiel

westward wrote: »

It almost seems like most companies hire people they already know anyways, they just list jobs online to advertise their company, not to get new applicants.

This part right here is key. Get to know people. It'll get you referrals and get you in front of hiring managers that you can talk to. I would definitely recommend not talking to HR. You're most likely to get a canned response from them. Better would be to find out who the manager is and talk to them directly. If you can spark some interest they'll be more likely to pull your name from HR's pile to look at things.