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Question for HR types
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 2010-12-06 9:11 PM |
Extreme Veteran  3177    |  Subject: Question for HR types...or anyone else who can answer it. so I have worked for the same company since graduating from college 4 years ago. at that time I went through the normal search for a job, send in resume and application etc. Move ahead to present day and I currently live about 1.5 hours away via train/bus commute from work. because of this I am looking to get a job in my local area to reduce the commute and give me more time (we moved to be closer to my wife's job as a special ed teacher). My question is this - since i know have some employable though in some ways unique skills what is the best way to apply for jobs in my area? In specific I have looked at a few local companies however their searches for jobs online do not turn up anything that sounds up my alley. Can I just send in a general cover letter and resume to the company and hope it is good enough to get a call about an interview? do i call their HR department first to inquire before sending anything in? it is a completely different scenario now than when first looking. I also want to add that i really like where I work now and if not for the commute would love to stay there. I have let them know what is going on and that i am looking and they understand and even offered good references. however that being said it is hard to say if my job skills are usable elsewhere because of the type of job i currently hold. (also as long as the salary/benefits are similar or even slightly less it is fine by me - as long as my 3 hours daily commute gets reduced enough) |
| 2010-12-06 9:34 PM in reply to: #3239116 |
Champion 7821   Brooklyn, NY | Subject: RE: Question for HR types Unfortunately, unless the company has an actual open job, sending your resume and cover letter probably won't get you in the door unless you get lucky and they've got something brewing that they haven't made public yet. Your best bet would be to try to get the name of someone in their HR department or the name of someone in a management role in the area where you'd want to work and try to reach out to them directly. Maybe you can get an exploratory interview, which is a lot better than your resume getting added to a pile of unsolicited resumes. You might also try to contact some staffing agencies (aka headhunters) in your area that specialize in your particular field. They sometimes have confidential positions that aren't posted publicly. Good luck! |
| 2010-12-06 10:02 PM in reply to: #3239116 |
Alpharetta, Georgia Bronze member | Subject: RE: Question for HR types What jmk said is exactly in line with how my company operates. It's VERY structured and unless you are applying through the jobs web site for a specific job requisition, your resume will get tossed until you go through the process they have set up. But I work for a fairly large company (14,000 employees) so perhaps smaller ones are more flexible. That being said, ironically, I got my job there without going through the process at all. And my boss has been known to do familiarization interviews with no job openings (more a favor to someone else than anything, but it has happened). It helps to know people in high places - don't underestimate the power of good relationships and networking. |
| 2010-12-06 10:25 PM in reply to: #3239116 |
Extreme Veteran 3177 | Subject: RE: Question for HR types thanks for the replies guys. I guess i will have to chat with some of the few people i know at those companies however those are currently all professional relationships (ie I talk to them during the course of my daily work) so i am not sure how much i can get out of that. at least the names of some managers maybe. Luckily my current place is kind of like the cream of the crop in the area. I work at a medical facility and if something happens for my particular specialty area everyone outside the system refers their patients to us for work up. I am not a doctor or clinician though, more of support staff. hopefully that is to my advantage. Edited by bel83 2010-12-06 10:25 PM |
| 2010-12-06 10:30 PM in reply to: #3239116 |
Extreme Veteran 668 Melbourne | Subject: RE: Question for HR types Networking would be your best option, not sure of your area of employment but look into professional bodies and get used to smoozing at conferences etc. Look into awards in your area of employment and try to get in the finals of a few of them as a longer term goal, award winners will be higher on the radar of head hunters when the market picks back up. Consider when researching the companies on line if they have an online application process. If they do some of these allow you to submit your CV to their 'talent' database which is one way of keeping you in their minds for any future vacancies prior to advertising them. If you do this, update your CV and resubmit every 6 months or so to ensure it is always up to date. Otherwise, look into alternative ways to get more flexibility in your work? Are you able to work from home 1 day a week for example, or even do 4 x 10 hour days each week instead of 5 x 8 hour days. If you go by public transport can you use the morning journey as on clock time to answer emails etc and then commute home on your time? |
| 2010-12-06 11:17 PM in reply to: #3239176 |
Extreme Veteran 3177 | Subject: RE: Question for HR types cottoneyes - 2010-12-06 8:30 PM Networking would be your best option, not sure of your area of employment but look into professional bodies and get used to smoozing at conferences etc. Look into awards in your area of employment and try to get in the finals of a few of them as a longer term goal, award winners will be higher on the radar of head hunters when the market picks back up. Consider when researching the companies on line if they have an online application process. If they do some of these allow you to submit your CV to their 'talent' database which is one way of keeping you in their minds for any future vacancies prior to advertising them. If you do this, update your CV and resubmit every 6 months or so to ensure it is always up to date. Otherwise, look into alternative ways to get more flexibility in your work? Are you able to work from home 1 day a week for example, or even do 4 x 10 hour days each week instead of 5 x 8 hour days. If you go by public transport can you use the morning journey as on clock time to answer emails etc and then commute home on your time? all good questions. unfortunately due to the sensitive records i work with, it all has to be done in the office (and even then our office is secured) so working from anywhere else is not an option. also to be on the clock, as it goes, I have to be able to make and receive phone calls. I am looking into networking and will also be calling HR departments at a few of these places to talk to them and see about setting up an initial contact. |
| 2010-12-07 10:20 AM in reply to: #3239116 |
Champion 4942 Richmond, VA | Subject: RE: Question for HR types if your current company is "cool" with you moving on b/c of the commutte, then it isn't out of the question to use them as a resource. i would talk to your HR department and find out if they have any contacts that you can use. if being that far apart, you really are in non-competing markets, it would just seem to make good business sense that they would want the goodwill of "placing" you somewhere else. you can refer work to them and it further shows how good of an employer they really are. |
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