One of the biggest frustrations job applicants experience when sending resumes to companies is in making sure they were indeed received. Many organizations are experiencing application rates as high as ten times or more the norm, and it is becoming more difficult to ensure your resume is not just lost in the shuffle. There are a few things to keep in mind, and a few ways you can track your submission.
Unfortunately, with high submission rates also come challenges in viewing all resumes. Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) can help alleviate much of this burden, but as I will explain in a forthcoming blog post, they are not always 100% efficient either. If a company does not have the luxury of using an ATS, then a manual undertaking becomes quite overwhelming. If 700 resumes are submitted, and the unfortunate soul charged with sorting through the applications finds 20 or more “good” resumes in the first 200, you may arbitrarily be out of luck. If you are applicant number 201, your resume won’t be seen. It’s not fair, but in some cases it’s reality. So, you need to know if your email was received and opened.
The simplest way is to pick up the phone, call the employer, and say something to the effect of: “I’ve been having some issues with spam filters and wondered if you could verify that you received the resume I emailed you?” If you are savvy enough, you can use this as an opportunity to get the ear of the hiring manager or recruiter, and if leveraged properly could turn into an interview.
There are many free email notification services out there such as MSGTAG (www.msgtag.com). And you can always Google phrases such as “read receipt email” and “delivery receipt email” to find similar remedies.
Ideally, you want to have a direct contact in the company who can walk and hand deliver your resume directly to HR and/or the hiring manager. This of course is only ideal, and not often possible. Even so, there are still many ways to make sure your resume makes it to her/his desk. If you don’t have a direct contact, make one. Do some legwork on LinkedIn, conducting a search for employees currently employed with the target company. Make contacts at LinkedIn.com and Facebook. Call the company and ask for the correct spelling of the person in charge of your prospective opportunity. If the situation seems okay, consider hand delivering your resume to the company’s front desk attendant.
Another way is to physically print and send your resume with a cover letter directly to the hiring manager via snail mail. Take an unblemished white paper copy of your resume and print it on nice paper at a place like Fed Ex/Kinko’s. Then send it in an 8 x 11 manila envelope. If you are going to do this, then stay the professional route with a cream or light colored paper. Professionalism is the number one priority on any creative method you utilize. Beyond that, it’s becomes games and gimmicks.
I have seen resumes show up in bright neon green, pink, yellow and orange. I have had resumes come in paper that is slightly bigger than normal resume paper, the theory being that it will get noticed when stacking it with normal paper. I have seen and heard of the corny gifts showing up with the resume, including the shoebox with one shoe, a resume, and a note saying “just trying to get my foot in the door.” Sure these things get noticed, but mainly for the wrong reasons.
The day I start putting resumes at the top of the pile based on the gimmicky way I received it is the day I should probably call it quits in this business. I feel confident in saying that the overwhelming majority of my peers would agree 110%. A resume with extreme graphics or completely crazy formats has a place; in fields related to design or artistic expression where you are using the opportunity to showcase relevant skills. In most professional businesses, it comes across as ridiculous. And the common thread I have noticed in the gimmick-filled resumes: the candidates are usually not qualified. They are screaming out for attention.
Don’t expect a positive response if you send a resume with pop-up features or in a color that cannot be safely viewed without sunglasses. We don’t care if R2D2 shows up and plays a hologram message, or if your resume contains a computer chip that plays music. At the end of the day, the evaluation is made on the relevancy of the skills, background, and abilities of all candidates in order to find the best. Gimmicks will get you noticed, but not for the right reasons. Place the focus of your resume on your accomplishments, relevant background, personality, and unique skills that put you in the best light. Apply for positions that you are a good fit for. Doing so will put your best foot forward, and garner the right attention.
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