To call or not to call the company?
Asked by confusedbrainchild
I'm a recently college grad who has recently embarked on the long and tendious journey of job hunting. Currently, I live in a rural, seasonal area where the only jobs that are listed in the paper seem to be for custodians or managers with 10 years of sales experience! Job hunting on the field just going into places has only been embarrasing. My only outlet seems to be using Craig's List in some nearby cities (which I am willing to drive 3 hours to interview and relocate). Craig's List also allows me to find the most jobs in my field. Often some of these ads state "Do not call about this position." However, I've read some job advice before where it says to call the company and find out the name of the hiring person in Human Resources so you know who to address your cover letter to. So should I call or not call? I don't want to get shoed or make a bad impression before I even begin.

Best Answer:
No do not call. Often these companies say 'do not call' because they are small company where your call would distract from day-to-day operations. As a recent grad, consider that all your classmates could be calling the same company and how disrupting it can be. These companies understand as part of the 'no call' policy, that they will get blind responses. Personally, I tend to rip cover letters off resumes and file 13 them. Aside from something that just jumps out at me, they are all fluff, with little substance. I would rather you creatively intertwine that fluff into the resume itself. Remember you are selling your services to these companies, who are trying to fill a position in order to maintain or increase their profits. A 'no call' company is likely one that doesn't have time to ponder a cover letter

Hi! I am job hunting too in craig's list and when I make a cover letter to send with my resume, I address it to "company's staff".... for example: if I was applying at Glory, Inc. I would address it to: Dear Glory, Inc. Staff, then I would introduce myself and any experience you have plus all the schooling you have accomplished. Good luck job hunting fellow job hunter!!
Answered by Autismmomof2

Prepare a resume and post it on employment websites that you feel comfortable with. There is power in mass advertisement. If possible try to keep your name, phone and address private. Monster allows you to do this
Answered by vivicaq

The job advice you read about is on-the-money. Finding a "back door" is a sure-fire way to separate you from the competition. Phone calls are a good way of doing this, as is the Internet. Through the internet and phone, you can do a lot of research to find out what you need to know before sending your resume. Calling the switchboard, department where the job is located, and even human resources are all good ways of getting information. What you want to find out is 1) who makes the hiring decision, 2) who decides which resumes to call, 3) what the company's goals are for this job, and 4) when interviewing is scheduled to begin. Try to get names and titles, as well as hiring requirements, and write your cover letter to match your qualifications with their needs. Make sure anyone you speak with understands that you want to offer them your talents, not squeeze out a paycheck.
Answered by gfanrick

I suggest calling to get the name of the person but not asking to speak to them if the add says no phone calls. Make sure to double check the spelling of the name and verify if the manager is male or female- if you can not tell by the first name. Good luck with your search!
Answered by Susie K

I am a recruiter. I run ads on Craig's List. The "do not call" is a check box when we run the ads. I don't mind getting a resume without being addressed by name. I do prefer not to get calls. I have a good number of jobs to fill and it is more comfortable for me to reach out to you when I have unblocked time. If your resume is error free, you describe yourself well and you have the qualifications, you should get a call. If you are responding to recruiting agencies as a new grad, it is not going to be likely that you will get a call as they get their fee paid by the clients for bringing them the most experienced candidate to the table. Go directly to the site of firms you would like to work for and apply through their site. My best advice is to join www.linkedin.com It is free, put up as much about yourself as you can. The second best advice is to look into yahoo groups for jobs in your area - we can send jobs to groups for free just like we can post on Craig's list for free.
Answered by itrackjobs