HR experts:need your help about job inquiry

[jenny]

If I submitted an application for a job, how long will it take the HR department to call me if they are interested in me?

Do I give up after a week or two? Should I call to ask about the status of my application if the job is still posted?

I filled out an application online for a position that was posted on Nov. 10. I just submitted my materials on Dec. 1. What do you guys think?? It's possible that they are already in the midst of the hiring process since it's been a few weeks since they posted the listing and I applied too late. but I just want to know how long I should wait before giving up hope.

[egoldber]

When I was jobhunting last year, it routinely took weeks to hear back.

[srkaplan]

It really depends on the HR department. I've worked in HR deptartments where the process moves very quickly, and places where for one reason or another it takes weeks (months even). In general, I would say that you should expect to hear something within a few weeks if they are interested. As far as calling to check on the status of your application, to be honest with you, it's really just an annoyance. Some jobs can receive literally hundreds of applications and when everyone starts calling to check on their status, it just takes up valuable time. I can totally understand the desire to do that though...job hunting is such a tough thing and the rejection factor makes it even worse.

Good luck! Hopefully you'll hear something soon, or find an even better opportunity! :)

[MoJo]

Here's another "depends on the company" answer. Because at my company, if you don't bother to follow up your online application, we assume you're not really taking that much initiative, and therefore won't have the self-motivation necessary to do a good job.

Lots of people fill out lots of online apps. Some people I know personally do that for jobs they don't really want and aren't qualified for just to keep getting their unemployment checks. We assume the self-starting, go-getter type of people we want to hire will put a little more effort into it. We actually use follow up as a big way to "weed through" all of the apps we get.

The best candidates follow up on their application with HR AND take time to talk to someone locally about the position, even before they get an interview.

[egoldber]

AND take time to talk to someone locally about the position

Out of curious, what do you mean by this? What if you don't know anyone who personally works for the company? How do you do this without contacting HR?

[wellyes]

Here's another "depends on the company" answer. Because at my company, if you don't bother to follow up your online application, we assume you're not really taking that much initiative, and therefore won't have the self-motivation necessary to do a good job.

Wow. Do you work for a small company? Maybe that's the difference? My company has nearly 50,000 workers and maybe a dozen job postings every day. At least a couple dozen people apply for each opening (except really high-level stuff). Phone calls from applicants definitely rate as "annoying" here.

[MoJo]

I work for a big company with lots of local offices in two countries. They will give much more serious consideration to someone who picks up the phone book or uses an online directory to call their local office for information about working for the company. (We have a corporate culture that encourages all employees to take time to discuss working for the company to any prospective employees.)

I have seen them interview people who didn't do that, but the fact that they haven't is seen as a BIG negative, almost like, "I can't believe she hasn't ever talked to anyone in the company." Most of the people I've seen hired (myself included) didn't previously know anyone at the company, but we all went above finding the job listing in the newspaper (for an old-school person like me) or on Monster or directly on the company's website and just submitting an application.

In our company, if someone calls as a prospective employee, we help as we can on the phone and when possible set a time for the candidate to come in in person BEFORE they have been offered an interview, really as a chance to interview us. We want people to know exactly who we are and how we work, because people who value working for us will work harder. We then pass along any impressions to the HR department for consideration in that person's proceeding through the interview process. We prefer people who have well-thought-out questions, because it shows their interest.

I know we are an unusual company, and that most companies don't work this way. I'm just giving my experience!

[MoJo]

I'm going to guess around 20,000 employees, give or take a few thousand. But part of the point is that each of us only fields one or two of those types of phone calls in a typical month, at the most, so it's not a burden. And even when the job posting is for our own office (generating more calls), the hiring people still see those calls as very valuable.

[jenny]

so now i'm really confused.

It's been 3 days since I submitted my online application and 3-4 weeks since the position was first posted. it's still posted online, fyi.

I hunted down the fax number of the company, because it's not listed anywhere on their website...and faxed my resume and cover letter the day after I sent in my online application (it sent twice by accident).

I'm hoping whoever picked up the fax sent it to HR, since that's what I put on the coversheet.

So what do you recommend I do? wait until next week and call the main number and ask to speak to an HR person to ask about the status?

I don't know if I can just call up a random person at the company and ask them to give me an inside scoop. That seems weird to me.

[MoJo]

I agree that any random person won't be able to tell you your status, or the status of the position. You'd have to call HR for that.

I was just saying, in my company, "calling any random person" can be the difference between HR actually looking at that resume or not.

If it were me, I'd call HR to make sure they actually received your fax, and ask for a general status on that position, especially if you had an issue with the fax machine when sending it.

[srkaplan]

so now i'm really confused.

It's been 3 days since I submitted my online application and 3-4 weeks since the position was first posted. it's still posted online, fyi.

I hunted down the fax number of the company, because it's not listed anywhere on their website...and faxed my resume and cover letter the day after I sent in my online application (it sent twice by accident).

I'm hoping whoever picked up the fax sent it to HR, since that's what I put on the coversheet.

So what do you recommend I do? wait until next week and call the main number and ask to speak to an HR person to ask about the status?

I don't know if I can just call up a random person at the company and ask them to give me an inside scoop. That seems weird to me.

I think that since you have a valid reason to question whether or not your resume was actually received, it is perfectly fine to call the HR Department, explain the situation, and confirm that your resume did make it to them. I would leave it at that, though.