In person resume/application drop off, or networking
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I don't see this working anywhere but a mom and pop type place, or maybe some sales positions. Most places you have to apply on line, so you can't even drop something off. Even if you could drop off a resume, it wouldn't make you a better candidate or mean you have a better work ethic; your resume would go in the pile along with the electronically submitted ones. HR or the hiring manager does not have time to speak with every person who is interested in the job and, if you just show up expecting to meet with someone, you will either leave without seeing them or you will probably be an inconvenience. Again, it is not going to make you a better candidate and it may leave a bad taste in someone's mouth. I don't know if the advice you have been given actually works for small and rural, but it is outdated for urban employment and has the potential to leave a negative impression. What field are you trying to get into?
Location: RI, MA, VT, WI, IL, CA, IN (that one sucked), KY
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Vintage_girl
I've had a few people tell me going in and dropping off your resume, along with making sure you talk to the HR rep is a better strategy than networking. A couple family members have told me this, and one of them swears by it. He says he's gotten all of his jobs that way and refuses to consider networking. The idea behind it is if you take the time to go to their place and drop it off, it shows you want the job and will be a good candidate for it.
In no place I've worked for the last 20 years would you ever, ever be allowed to see an HR person if you walked through the door with the resume.
Your resume would be taken and you'd be told to apply online.
The last time I applied for a job was 2005, and I got the job.
I walked in to fill out the application and when I was through I asked if there was someone I could talk to.
Yes.
I talked to him briefly and scheduled the interview for later that day.
I was hired on the spot. Large, public company.
So, don't let ANYONE tell you not to put yourself in the line of fire. Use the phone! Go where you need to go! Get yourself out there!
The last time I applied for a job was 2005, and I got the job.
I walked in to fill out the application and when I was through I asked if there was someone I could talk to.
Yes.
I talked to him briefly and scheduled the interview for later that day.
I was hired on the spot. Large, public company.
So, don't let ANYONE tell you not to put yourself in the line of fire. Use the phone! Go where you need to go! Get yourself out there!
You do realize you're referring back to an experience nearly 10 years ago, right? I am not interested in 2005 rules. I want to know what works for 2014.
I've had a few people tell me going in and dropping off your resume, along with making sure you talk to the HR rep is a better strategy than networking.
Or-- is networking a better strategy, because you can have an actual person vouch on your behalf and provide a reference? Hasn't the job market always been that way, even well before the Boomers got into the workforce?
You should and are using both when you drop off the resume in person. You are networking with the people you talk to while dropping of the resume.
How do I drop off a resume in person when many businesses have security? You can't walk right into the building and the receptionist has to approve you before you can get to the desk. Then there is the matter of what to do with your resume if you are not allowed in the building. If I wanted to drop my resume off at Target HQ, there's no way for me to even get to a person to drop it off to without having an appointment. I've called and asked. It also seems unprofessional to just show up because there's not a way to determine if the person is busy.
How do I drop off a resume in person when many businesses have security? You can't walk right into the building and the receptionist has to approve you before you can get to the desk. Then there is the matter of what to do with your resume if you are not allowed in the building. If I wanted to drop my resume off at Target HQ, there's no way for me to even get to a person to drop it off to without having an appointment. I've called and asked. It also seems unprofessional to just show up because there's not a way to determine if the person is busy.
This is the clue that it simply is not done anymore. You are correct in that the rules of 2005 no longer apply. Sure, you will see a help wanted sign here and there and those places might allow you to just walk up and apply, but the majority of employees cannot get a job in that manner anymore.
This is the clue that it simply is not done anymore. You are correct in that the rules of 2005 no longer apply. Sure, you will see a help wanted sign here and there and those places might allow you to just walk up and apply, but the majority of employees cannot get a job in that manner anymore.
I'm starting to see that. I live near larger cities where HR reps do get the impression you aren't able to follow directions if you try to "bypass" the application system. Even so, you still have to apply and go through the interview. I think this is one of those strategies where what works for a different city culture may not work for another.
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