Should You Follow Up After Sending Your Resume?

As an HR manager, I really dislike when applicants call me to follow up on the status of their application. Well, the ‘status’ of application is that I will be doing the following up – with the applicants who are qualified.

I also really, really dislike when applicants call me and really push it to set up an interview. I guess, some applicants do that because they think that they will come across as assertive and enthusiastic. However, my perception is that if you are already this pushy and high maintenance without even being an employee, I can’t imagine how you are going to be once you become one. Lucky for me, you already showed your true colors and saved me the trouble.

Bottom line, HR managers are very busy. No one appreciates being constantly interrupted by unimportant phone calls to check on whether a resume was received or not. If applicants cannot resist the urge to contact the HR manager, do it in writing (email, card) so that it is not intrusive. If you do not hear back, move on please.

Have you ever considered the fact that those who call you maybe don’t have the experience yet and want a chance to show you how interested they are. Give people a break why don’t ya. If more HR people would give people a chance who are dedicated to and motivated to call you then maybe you wouldn’t have to hire some one in the first place. Look at things from the other side not just your own.

Emily, I agree! Only when Giselle gets on the street without a job, she will get to feel how it is and then we will see her “true colors”! Any day we can switch the places, Giselle!

U fool I think you show your true colours no one want to work for a power mad moron, I someone with experience in human resources would know that they are feeling out the company as much as you them. A good employer with ask and answer the right question and this is true of a employee. I glad i dont deal with inexperienced hr managers and hired and fired myself.

At this giselle lady, well as a freaking manager, you should know that its not good to keep people waiting! Maybe they really need this job. a follow up is just wanting to know if youre interested. like jeez, i wonder why you were hired. a follow up is perfectly fine in my opinion. what, youre not gonna hire them just because they wanted to know what you think? give me a break. its people like you who dont deserve jobs.

I agree one hundred percent with morah. I understand well how busy the HR department can be , which applies to other departments as well. At the same time it is their job to clarify whether the job is available or already someone has started the job. Why keeping people waiting when the job is gone. On the other side , all resources show that it is important to follow up on the job application to let the employer knows you are still interested in the job. On this basis many people will call to show their interest , how would they know their follow up would give such a horrible impression. I beleive guys this problem should be addressed carefully so as not to misjudge people characters. For God sake ! it is terrible.

I don’t think to contact them. Why means they are always busy and we are not only the person to contact them. Anyway i will wait upto they contact me. Why means for their they definitely need a employer. So they will definitely view our performance in the interview..

I completely disagree with Giselle’s comments about not contacting the employer to see if they received your resume. Candidates call because they do not like being left waiting and waiting for the phone call. Candidates don’t have the luxury to wait and wait and wait and wait for the phone call and after all we are looking for jobs. So candidates will call and it does not show that we are pushy and in fact it shows how much we want the job. If the calls are that unimportant to you then I think you are in a wrong job for yourself. All you sound like is you receive resumes and then they are unimportant and you’ll just throw them to the side and ignore them. Your job is to bring candidates in, answer phones, tell candidates they received the resume and set up the interviews!!! Ignoring candidates phone calls and follow ups just irritates the candidates and makes you look like you don’t care about the candidates or your job!!! Also if your precious time is to busy with OTHER STUFF other than the candidates hire an assistant who would be happy to take the phone calls, set up interviews etc…..

Continued… By Giselle’s comment this is exactly why so many people HATE HR people and why HR departments get such a bad rap because it’s people like you Giselle that either don’t take their work seriously or don’t care for example one of your comments you made

“No one appreciates being constantly interrupted by unimportant phone calls to check on whether a resume was received or not.” Ok a little news that might suprise you that is part of your job to let candidates know you received the resume and return calls!! This is EXACTLY why so many people will give their resumes to someone else like the boss or a connection with the company who actually cares!! People ignore the HR like a damn plague!!! Well if resumes, candidates and phone calls, returning phone calls are so damn unimportant to you and you are so unwilling to take 2 simple seconds to check that the candidate that called to tell him/her that you did receive your resume then you obviously need to seriously reconsider your job and find another position where people wont bother you!!

Mo i couldnt agree with you more, i am actually in the process of looking for a new job. I had an interview last week, and was debating whether or not to send a follow up letter, just to know my status. And i finally did, in fact it was the best decision ever. I received a message in return telling me how sorry she was for not calling me earlier and that she has not forgotten about me, that she has not had time to interview anyone else so to please give her another week, also expressed how she really liked me and hoping i havent yet found another job…. So i 100% agree with you. Dont think about it do it… you have nothing to lose

It’s comments like Giselle’s that make me afraid to follow up my resume. However, once I have been contacted for an interview, I feel like a connection has been made, and at the end of all interviews, I do ask what the time line is for making a decision regarding the next round or hiring. Immediately after the interview, I send a thank you, and if the deadline for making a decision passes, I don’t feel bad at all for checking in.

If I am ignored in this follow-up (as I was by one company that didn’t answer my phone call or email after the initial interview), then I know my answer and, honestly, I wouldn’t think I’d want to work for such an unprofessional place, anyway.

I feel that Mo is dead on with her comments in regards to Giselle’s. In this day and age with the economy being what it is, there are people searching for hours a day to find a job that could be the perfect fit. For someone like Giselle who obviously doesn’t care about people at all to say it is annoying for someone to call back in regards to a resume they sent is just atrocious. Giselle, it is people like you that destroy excellent candidates’ drive and enthusiasm. You definately do NOT belong in Human Resource Management. Shame on you and others like you for not being considerate of human beings and the scarey economical crunch they are in. It is my opinion that people like Giselle are power hungry mongers afraid of hiring more intelligent people then themselves, which in turn is detrimental for the company they work for.

I have to agree with everyone regarding Giselle’s comments. It is very frustrating not hearing anything at all. You send your resume over the internet and 9/10 times you hear NOTHING there other 1/10 you get an automated reply that indicates your resume was received (which I appreciate). Then you hear nothing else. How about at least an EMAIL? At the very least a generic email blind email to people to let them know a candidate has been selected or we have selected possible candidates from the first pool and if needed will select from a second pool but TELL US SOMETHING. I really believe it would take some of the stress out of job hunting and MAYBE Giselle and all those LIKE GISELLE would not get as many phone calls.

I think it’s people like Giselle who have kept me away from only wanting to support my family. I am in desperate need of work as I have been looking for nearly a year and nothing has come up. NOTHING! It starts to become very depressing after so long! All we want is to make a better life financially for our family’s and put food on the table for our children. If that means calling and checking up on a resume once in a while for a fighting chance then I will continue to do so. I could careless how busy you are. You aren’t the one suffering.

Giselle, I would like to buy you a cup of coffee………………….
…..so you will stop being so damn cranky. I’m so happy that YOU have a job, but obviously you do not display the the level of professionalism that many others would. Karma?

I am a job seeker, and frankly, I am with Giselle on this one.

Employers receive hundreds of applicants, and why should they have their employees spending all day answering routine and meaningless emails.

A better solution would be to build a page on their website with the latest info on the status of the job opportunity.

Also, I dont want to be expected to send out hundreds of insincere letters brown-nosing for jobs. How do all of you anti-Giselle people feel about spam in your own inboxes? How do you feel about salespeople who call you on the phone? (yes, you are selling yourself) People who I’ve spoken with who are in senior management (not HR) hate this stuff. I say only follow up with a thank you note after you have had an interview. Dont spam!

As a corporate recruiter working in an HR department I would say to Giselle, look for another line of work. People, especially those who are unemployed, are NOT unimportant. Follow up skills is an assett to an organization and I always ask applicants to follow up with me after an interview. When people give their time, even if it’s just to apply for a position, a quick e-mail letting them know of possible interest or not is not a waste of time, it’s a common courtesy. I don’t care how busy you are if you feel people are unimportant then you’re definitely in the wrong line of work. I’m appalled in this day and age that companies put up with workers with your attitude.

So, so disagree with this prehistoric view. Dedicated HR personel should be avoided like the plague where a company wants well integrated and enthusiastic employees.

I agree with the majority of the respondents on this one. Giselle is completely out of touch with the “human” element of human resources. She sounds to me like she is more concerned about her clients’ needs, which is fine for her, but this is ultimately bad PR for the company she works for.

I forgot to post the answer to the question, which is more important than sounding off about Giselle. I believe that if the job is one in which you are highly interested and highly qualified for you should definitely call the company you applied to a few days after sending your resume and cover letter to them. This is as natural as if you were a client emailing in an important document that you want to confirmed was received. I personally have had instances when for whatever reasons unknown to me my emails were not received and luckily I when I called to follow-up, I found this out and was able to re-send it right away. It’s just common sense. As for HR managers not having time for these calls, I say simply too bad and I agree with what the profesional HR recruiter has said which is that Giselle should look for a different type of job. I hope when she sends out her resumes and follows up with a call that the receiving HR person is not too busy to talk with her! That would be funny wouldn’t it.

My question is, what do we say when we call?

I did some hiring in a former management position and absolutely did not mind someone calling me to see if I received their resume. I appreciated them taking the initiative to follow up.

As a job seeker myself, I will call to follow up on my application. It is not only to find out if my application is well received, but it is also a way for me to find out if I really want to work for the company. Meaning that even though the job specifications match my qualifications if the HR is missing the “human” element , I’d rather look for jobs elsewhere. HR in many ways is the front line of a company and job seekers have rights to screen their prospective employer. It is always a two-way stream.

I have several family members and good friends that work as higher-level HR consultants, recruiters and managers. My sister in fact works at a prestigious international law firm as a HR manager. The biggest piece of advice I’ve received from each of them regarding my own job search (I’m transitioning out of the nonprofit sector into the corporate) is–FOLLOW UP, FOLLOW UP, FOLLOW UP.

Giselle, you may want to re-think your chosen profession, as you do not seem to enjoy the human interaction of your position. I’ve also done hiring and recruiting in my former position and the candidates that stuck out the most were those showing initiative. Sounds like you are just bothered by every aspect of your role as HR Manager. May be time to consider a new career, one where you wouldn’t have to be bothered by “unimportant people.”

Was so glad to see the amount of feedback to Giselle’s comments about following up. Seems like she could benefit from a class in time-management!

In positions that have a high volume of phone calls and inquiries, it would be helpful for Giselle (and others who are challenged by the amount of phone calls they receive) to set aside a certain amount of time each day – either early am or late pm – to return calls. In most cases, she may only have to leave a voice mail to the caller with basic information about the resume/job status.

There is so much subjective information out there about the “Dos and Don’ts” of HR practices, that it is often confusing for the job seeker. I’ve also learned that there is no law that requires a potential employer to follow up, and some HR folks take that to the extreme.

Lastly, I can’t help but think that folks like Giselle have a little bit of a power trip going on. I agree with the people who suggest that Giselle find a new line of work. If I were her employer, I would certainly recommend that she brush up on her own skills!

Good luck to all my fellow job seekers. Have faith that you will find something great and don’t fall for the negative media hype!

I am really starting to think there are way too man Giselle type in HR. I have applied 17 times for the same position and have never once been called back, but every other fortnight, I see this well known cup cake retailer is always in need of Bakers. But they never once called me back, I gave up on them, along with a well known supermarket chain for the same reasons.

I would love to get a response when my resume has been received. But at the very least I expect a call after I’ve interviewed. I have interviewed four times in the last couple months and told they would be making in decision in the next week or so. But I never hear anything back. I have followed up with Thank You notes, Thank you email, etc. but still HR is too **** to say Sorry you haven’t been selected. It’s just plain rude.

HR managers do not have any clues on what employers are after and their judgement on job seekers skills is very shallow. They are like a secretary.

HR people are the most inept ones to make decisions on whose resumes should be forwarded to the head of departments that need qualified applicants. By Giselle’s comments leaves no doubt in my mind that, that was exactly happening when my accounting department would have an open position. We would get the most unexperienced, unmotivated, uninterested applicants and we would have to chose one from the bad batch. A person that has been unemployed for a period of time, would be a lot more grateful now in days and would perform a lot better, with lots of interest, than someone that is currently employed and just wants to switch jobs. An employed person tends to be very apathetic to unemployed ones, thinking that being unemployed is a choice…it isn’t!! I don’t wish anyone to lose their jobs, but sometimes, if it is the only way to appreciate and learn the trials in life, then so be it Giselle. Look up the word: Kindness, and try to apply it in your life…just saying.

Can someone fire this Gissele lady… So she knows what she’s talking about..

I think it’s people like Giselle who just can’t be bothered to read through applications, don’t give any feed back on the success of applications and generally put many unemployed people off applying for further jobs.

Following up your application is a perfectly reasonable thing to do, and if I was an employer I would think it showed gumption. The individual obviously really needs a job and really wants to work for that company.

Giselle, I really think that if you are complaining about your work load, then move aside because I am sure there are plenty more people who would snap that job up! After all, you’re paid to do exactly what you’re complaining about. I’m guessing you were just lucky with your application and you certainly never made any follow ups. Just try to put yourself in other people’s shoes and imagine waiting up to three weeks for a single response. It’s not encouraging or reassuring when you have a family to feed and a mortgage to pay! All because people like you can’t do their job and are extremely lazy! We are all busy…you just get on with it.

Giselle should be ashamed of herself—with so many people unemployed looking for work these days she’s probably forgotten what it is like to find a job—some of these H.R managers are so disrespectful to unemployed people. Here is what I say—maybe Giselle would change her attitude if she were standing in the unemployment line.

@Giselle: I truly feel sorry for whatever company you are short changing. You are not doing your job properly. As a Human Resources Manager, part of your job is to deal with job applicants and their follow ups. That includes contacting candidates for interviews AND applicants who didn’t make the mark. You should have a template letter – both digital and hard copy – to send to applicants that you are no longer interested in. Ever hear of a “Dear John” letter? As much as people dread receiving those, it helps in the long run because it’s official and they can move on. Giving applicants the run around wastes both their time and your time.

True colors? It sounds like the only one showing true colors is you. And those colors are Laziness, Greed, Cynicism, and Hate,

Haha that Giselle lady is an idiot. I understand HR people are very busy, but not that busy that you can’t take a phone call or follow up on an email an applicant sent you. I used to work in HR and I loved when people would contact me about their resume or application, it really showed me they wanted the job and they were going to wait around for me to call them. Like they say, “the early bird gets the worm.” Sounds like this lady doesn’t have a heart, she defiantly is in the wrong business. I would hate to work for her.

haha giselle got fired and is without a job. that’s why she isn’t commenting back. what a fag.

I got laid off almost two yrs ago- been in my trade 20 years. I have never been without a job. In these two years I have only been called a couple of times- its the usual thing, they call, ask some questions then never call back. One even said they were more interested in me than the other candidates. Of course the hiring manager was on vacation and they needed for him to get back. Well they never called. I even called the guy back to see what was up and he never called me back. Another lady called me about my resume, i missed her call, called her right back, left a message and she never called me back!!
Just this morning, the company I faxed my resume to called me saying they had my resume and needed to talk to me. I called her back immediately and she asked if I had filled out their online application. I said yes and she asked when was that. I told her a few months ago and she said oh, I’ll be able to find it then so I’ll call you back! Well, she NEVER called me back. HR have jobs- they’re getting paid every week. They don’t care of you’re waiting or not. The ball is in their court. I say call them until you get an answer.

Plain and simple, as a job seeker, its very difficult when you have no choice but to submit electronic applications!!!! I appreciate a call back now and then to show some signs of interest. Not just an electronic generic response saying “we’ve received your application”….. HUMAN INTERACTION is missing! Giselle, Wise up dont be a wise ass…same goes to the other HR Managers that think like you. The fact someone is calling shows their dedication to obtaining the position, that can be applied to the future role they may have within your company.

i find it interesting how these HR managers are so power hungry…its amazing how the education required to become an HR adviser or manager is so basic..yet they have so much control over hiring higher educated people and determining their future so to speak.

Hi I was wondering I have applied for a job two weeks ago and I have heard nothing back should I call the company?

Attention employers (HR) – ye reap what ye sow….applicants are only into you for the same reason you are into applicants – to make money for your company. Show some respect and get over your apparent exhaustion as an overworked entity in an understaffed organization – applicants are equally exhausted by the job search in today’s jobs climate and most are making great efforts to demonstrate the value they can bring to your company. Respect begets respect. Lack of respect begets lack of respect. It’s that simple.

Giselle is a moron.If I were her employer,I would be very polite to her as I was kicking her ineffective ass to the curb.

In this last week, I’ve had a few bites but it never turns into anything!!!
It’s always the same thing: They ask you questions then never call you back! HR means HUMAN RESOURCES. I think it’s imperative that the people (morons) that are responsible for putting potential employees through need to be more considerate in how they treat job seekers. Don’t tell people you are going to call them back if you don’t mean it.
For someone like me, who gets a bit hopeful when I do get a call, it becomes horribly disappointing when they never call you back.

Question: I applied for a job a week ago. I still haven’t heard anything, but when I was filling in the application, they told me not to call or e-mail them. Should I still disregard that and call mainly for the interest?

From the comments about the follow up question. It’s really a tough pill to swallow on, depending on which position you’re siding for. On the side of the HR, I do understand that they receive probably hundreds of resumes for the position. The amount of workload may exceed the expectations that they don’t have enough time in the day to read each resume and cover letter. Also, you should know that maybe there’s more than one position they have to review other than the position you’ve applied for.

On the other hand, I absolutely understand since I’m currently in this situation. Waiting and waiting around for a job to even give you a call is both irascibly annoying and tedious. Calling them strikes a definite interest, depending on how you word when you call or e-mail the employer. Everyone deserves a chance at a job, but if the applicant is not qualified for the position, they should be notified ASAP. I did notice the first comment that was made on this post, that person seemed very annoyed with this question. As if their job is a workload and they can’t handle it, making it seem like no one has a chance to earn a job. Especially with this economy, any job that is available shouldn’t be taken for granted, and to earn your spot, you have to be patiently aggressive to a certain degree.

Kudos to all that are trying to find a job. I hope my comment was good.

What Giselle said was despicable and represents all that I hate about HR and their little minions

But you got to hand it to her, she was being honest.

After this long dialogue of hate and normative statements directed at poor Giselle here, i think the point of the whole topic was lost.

Not a question of how it should be but rather how it actually is.

Giselle and her opinions probably represents the vast majority of HR reps. If you’re wise, you would stop complaining about how it ought to be and understand that HR are by and large a bag of d**ks and think twice before you decide to call up the “busy” HR rep and risk getting on their bad side.

As someone who has spent the majority of his career in human resources management, Giselle needs to find another line of work.

How would you like to not have a job? And you wonder why they call. Are you totally distanced from reality. Who cares if you don’t appreciate it. You are HR and get paid to deal with people, so live with it or quit and I’ll take your job!

I applied for this job on Feb. 7, followed up with HR on Feb. 21 asked the lady had they started interviewing for the job she replied yes then proceeded to say I have received your resume. I am very qualified for the job. Four more days have passed and still no word, keep in mind she said they tried to contact me in Aug 2011 for a part time job and could not get in touch with me.My concern is why have I not heard anything and should I call her again and see what the status of the job is.

I have to laugh at the hatred released by the brazen Giselle in our job searching times, and note also that as is typical, she did not answer.

Hello Giselle,
Could you please tell me the job description of a person working in an HR department? First I suggest you to know your job correctly, and then start recruiting qualified person for the company you are working. May be you are a fresher to the job! It is you job to answer all question regarding the applications, and candidates email. Just don’t say that HR peoples are always busy. With what work you are busy..?If you are a dog you should bark.

YOU’RE SCREAMING I AM INCOMPETENT SO DON’T FOLLOW UP !

TREAT EVERY CANDIDATE AS A POTENTIAL NEW HIRES WITH RESPECT.. IF SOMEONE FOLLOWS UP< SAY YES GIVE ME A WEEK TO SET UP AN INTERVIEW OR SAY NO SORRY !! ITS NOT THAT COMPLICATED… EMAILS ARE FAST TO SEND OUT !! YOU SHOULD HAVE AN HR COORDINATOR WORKING W/YOU OR YOU SHOULD BE COMPETENT ENOUGH TO HANDLE A LOT OF APPLICATIONS.

@Giselle, you may have a degree in HR management, everyone who applies to a job are educated individuals. Your ignorance is shared by a few others in HR, they believe that they have to play ‘hardball’- in HR you should be friendly and assertive but never an idiot. Your response and behavior as a hiring manager is an idiotic approach. Lets say that you hired someone that saw how ugly your behavior is, when that person continues to work with the company they will be dealing directly with your team and have a negative impression of you.

@Giselle: Your approach is so insensitive

I have always hated people who work in Human Resources.

If Giselle’s attitude is representative of the company she works for, I would not want to work for them. Shame on you Giselle!

I’m glad I’m not the only one who dislikes Giselle’s comments. She should be fired for being so insensitive and careless!

don’t be so harsh on Giselle..may be what she meant was that it’s better to send email than calling HR personnel.

I think that HR people do not know what it is to wait for a job after they have applied for a position. They post the positions and half the time they are expired postings!!! They have no idea what it is to wait years for a GOOD paying job and work for low wages for years. They are just pushing their control and power around. If the shoe was on the other foot I guarantee you they would follow up with a phone call also!!

With so many conflicting views it is very hard to know what to do. My husband has sent out numerous resumes for postiions he is very qualified for, to date no responses. So here we sit terrified of losing eveything we have worked for as the clock ticks. I think the entire HR process needs to be overhauled. It’s a lonely and demoralizing process applying to positions over and over again. Come on HR, if the job is filled say so, if we don’t meet your qualifications, say so. You force us to “bother you” because you give no feedback. Job seekers don’t care to waste their time or resources on something that will amount to nothing, at least give us a break if not a job.

wow old thread! As much a I hate Giselle’s comments – they are the truth. With the internet, they must get hundreds of applicants. I try to look at it like fishing, just keep casting and hopefully you’ll get a bite. Ive tried it all; following up not following up, doesnt seem to matter. I think your resume just has to be in the right place at the right time and say the right thing. The only thing I wish is that they could at least send an email saying you did not get selected. I hate getting excited for a job and then never hearing, I would rather just get the ‘no’ so I can move on.

Giselle, stick it up your … I’ve been out of work fro one and a half years with nothing on the horizon and 3 weeks of unemployment benefits left so excuse me if I make a call. I only pray that you find yourself in the same position that i am in one day and I only hope your family goes through the same anxious tension that mine is going through. Sounds like you were trained by the Hitler SS.

I am an HR professional who works with applicants on a daily basis. Do to the crippled economy we usually experience hundreds of applicants per position. To handle phone calls respectfully the company has set up a separate VM box with detailed updates about each position that the applicant can listen to. If they wish to speak to an HR representative they are welcome to leave a message and our promise is to return their call in the next 48 hours as there is high volume at times. We set aside time at the end of the day to return calls. Our company has also invested in a higher tech recruiting system that allows us to communicate the applicants status in real-time via email. We want all appicants to have a positive experience even if they are not hired for the posistion applied they may very well have the skills we need for a future postion. In my opinion HR departments are Marketing professionals and should always treat each applicant as a potential employee, retracting and retaining high quality people is so important. If a company views your call as a negative you may want to think twice before you go to work for them. Times are changing and I am proud to work for a company that supports a culture of respect and understanding. We value those who want to work for us.

I agree with Giselle. I too work in HR and I just dont have time to deal with these phone calls from desperate people. If I am interested, I will contact you. If I dont contact you, then you obviously dont have what I am looking for so get over it and move on. Yes, it may take several weeks. If you cant wait that long, too bad. A phone call is not going to speed up the process and what makes you think you’re so high and mighty? LOts of people want the job, not just you.

Nikki,

It is your job to deal with those desperate people. If your job is to stressful find another one or take a cut in pay, you pathetic excuse for an employee. Take the 35K you made working in HR last year and go apply to beauty school, the buisness world obviously isn’t for you.

As for Nikki – your comment was just disgusting. How about you just move on out of Human Resources because it is a field all about Human Relations and being able to deal with different peoples personalities. YES it is part of the job.

You where once on the side of the fence wondering of they were going to call – if not – YOU WILL BE WITH THAT KIND OF ATTITUDE!

I am a Fiancee Manager, experienced with over 15 years in Finance and Accounting fields and working with various industries in the local and international level and could say i could not find any useless departments in organizations like HR. They are always busy with firing people and finding their own friends and families for any vacancies. They are always busy with their boss!

Having worked in a variety of different environments, i have to say that i am disappointed in Giselle’s answer. good thing her employer isn’t reading this because she would probably be terminated for treating the public in such a way. Unless a company specifically states do not call, then there is absolutely no reason to not call and check on your application or resume. In fact, in many industries it is imperative that this is done BECAUSE of the amount of applications they receive. Seriously, sometimes the ones who call back the most are the ones who get the jobs. So Giselle, get over your cushy ass job and join the real world. Just because you think a phone call is unimportant, your attitude makes your company worthless. Good job promoting yourself.

Giselle’s comment was posted in 2007. I’m sure she’s not reading these comments now in 2012 lol Who knows? Giselle might be unemployed right now as well. Although, I do not like the tone of Giselle’s comment; she was honest. She probably would not tell you that on the phone. Also, we do not know Giselle’s situation. Who knows what is expected of her by the company she works for. They could be working her like a mule as many companies do. They try to squeeze blood out of you for pennies. We don’t know all that Giselle has on her plate. Companies are receiving hundreds of resumes today. Imagine if everyone called to follow up on the receipt of their resume. That’s a call center job and HR managers are not call center reps. A lot of jobs you apply for online actually have an automated reply that says they will contact you if interested. They don’t want you contacting them. They are receiving a high volume of resumes and cannot handle the volume of calls they’re receiving. It sucks right now. I wonder how bad can it be to walk in and hand your resume to someone? I’m going to test it out next week. I’m going to try a job fair as well. Applying online is too anonymous. You’re just a piece of paper and qualifications, but if the person meets you they might like you and want to take a risk even if you are lacking some experience or not exactly what they’re looking for.

I think HR should be more understanding. People want jobs today so of course they will call you. What do you expect them to do?!? Just sit and wait for you to call them back and hope that YOU HR people notice them?
You probably will never notice them right? Giselle you need to put yourself in other people’s shoes. Feel lucky that you have a job.

Even though, I hate what Nikki and Giselle said, it’s important we know the truth. I am confused with all the conflicting advice as to follow up or not follow up. Also, should you just start popping up to places instead of being an anonymous email? How do you get passed the gatekeeper with no appointment?

I couldn’t disagree more with Giselle. She epitomizes the selfish, unappreciative, and short-sited attitude that is hurting this country and is the antipathy of what this country is about. She will see how wrong her perspective is when she has to get out there and compete for a job.