Job Discussion Forums

Cleopatra · Posted: Sun Mar 21, 2004 8:15 pm Post subject: If at first you don't succeed...

... try, try again?

Have any of you ever applied for a job - speculatively or in response to an ad - and either been rejected or not received any reply at all?

In this case, have you applied again, and, if so, have you mentioned your previous application or simply sent off your CV as though nothing had happened before? How many times could you handle "rejection" without throwing in the towel?

A boring question, I realize, but one not without significance for us job hunters. Thanks in advance for all replies!

Stephen Jones · Joined: 21 Feb 2003 Posts: 4124

There's one guy whio's been sending me two applications a month for the last three and a half years. A couple of years ago I set up a rule in Outlook to send them straight to the deleted iitems folder so I didn't have to read them.

khmerhit · Posted: Sun Mar 21, 2004 10:11 pm Post subject:

Ah, so that's why you never reply, Jones! Laughing

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

Cleopatra,
I have responded to an ad for the same place, same job twice in the last year. Neither time did I get even an acknowledgement of receiving my communications. I figure they are such a huge outfit that they only respond to people they are really interested in pursuing. No matter how good a fit I feel I am for them, they don't answer. I have tried one follow-up email just to see if they got the first one, and all I got was a polite reply that said they were processing applications.

If I'm in the mood to apply again another time, I might, but I'm certainly not going to get upset or lose sleep over failing to get a positive response to just one job opening. There are plenty of other fish in the sea. Play the percentages.

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

Cleopatra · Posted: Mon Mar 22, 2004 9:19 am Post subject:

I agree with above posters that when s place receives hundreds of applications, it is a hassle for them to respond to all the rejected (horrible word!) candidates.

However,how much time would it take for the recruitment dept. to send out a group e-mail to all of the people who didn't make the grade? Not much - and it would make a big difference to the people concerned. You could then cross that one off your list and start persuing other options instead of hanging around wondering whether to send off your CV again or not. I don't think it's asking too much, in these days of easy email, to expect even a forumulaic, impersonal acknowledgement of your application.

lajzar · Joined: 09 Feb 2003 Posts: 647 Location: Saitama-ken, Japan

Personally, if I really want a particular job, I would send a followup email a week or two later. But any prospective employer who can't maintain effective communication after two weeks is out. I wouldn't want to work for an employer that considers total lack of communication for two weeks to be acceptable.