Today’s question comes from Patrice:
I have been open to definitely stepping out of my comfort zone and applying for positions that I would not normally pursue. The online application process seems to be the “black hole” because you have to basically do detective work to see if the position is legitimate. Getting an address or phone number for the company sometimes seem impossible. My question is, since most employers are using the online application process for prospective employees, what other steps can we do to make sure our application is received, even when they post “NO CALLS PLEASE” or you acquire the number through your detective work?
We get this question a lot, Patrice, so thank you for asking.
The most common reason behind the “No Calls Please” is not so the hiring manager can avoid talking to you or taking the time to look for your application — it’s to keep his or her sanity.
Imagine you’re a recruiter and you post a job online. You receive 300 resumes. Can you imagine having 300 people calling you to see whether or not you’ve received their application materials? You would go insane. Even with the “no calls” disclaimer, about 10-15 percent of these people call anyway. That’s still 45 people calling you.
That being said, I think you should defintely respect the “no calls please” request.
Usually when you apply online, you’ll receive an e-mail stating that your application has been received. If you don’t hear anything back and want to confirm that they got your materials, do some detective work and find an e-mail address where you can follow up.
Remember that while searching for jobs online is important, it’s also crucial not to rely soley on job boards and classifed ads for your search. Keep networking and getting in face time with people who can help land you a job. That way, you’ll have an actual person you can talk to and you won’t even have to worry about the “no calls please.”
In regards to your reference to the “resume black hole,” check out this article that addresses that very topic:
September 21st, 2009 at 6:41 pm
Hi,
I am a job seeker and been looking for clerical work since October of 2007 and have not any luck in finding a job for my expertise.
Sometimes I am wandering, is it me or my age. I had practically tried all the job search websites and engines and had applied to all the jobs referring to my experience but no interview calls.
I do not have any more income coming in and had exhausted the third extension of my unemployment benefits and the income I can rely on is my older sisters social security benefits which is not enough to keep us both going on living expenses.
I need someone to give me a chance and prove to them I am capable of doing the clerical work and my expertise in this field is about thirty years.
Please give me some advice on what to do because I am desperate of getting a job to pay my living expenses.
Thank you,
Nancy Griffith