Applying online for positions, be it at the employer’s Web site or via a site like Careerbuilder, should be a part of any job seeker’s strategy. True, most folks get their job by networking, but like my first job for a record label in Nashville, you never know when that online application you did last week will land you the job you want.
With just a little time and detective work, you can give yourself an advantage over nearly everyone else who applied. Here’s how.
Avoid calling. Use LinkedIn to find someone at the company who is probably the hiring manager for this position, and e-mail a brief note with your résumé and cover letter attached.
Sometimes this a great bypass of the HR screening process. Sometimes it’s a good double-hit, showing initiative, interest, and thoroughness if, for instance, it’s a small company or division with no in-house HR department.
As you peruse LinkedIn, if you see you have a close colleague who works at the company, you could backdoor through that person. If you don’t know anyone, look to see if the person you choose has worked anywhere you have before. That makes a great introduction in the beginning of your e-mail. If you can’t find anyone who might be at a hiring manager level, send it to someone in the same department as the job opening.
Naturally, most people want to help. But make it easy for them to do so…think about when you are working and someone who’s in transition asks for your help. Be polite but specific with your request. For example, I asked a former coworker, Matt, to 1) put in a good word for me at his current company (with the hiring manager if he knew who that was) and 2) forward my résumé and cover letter after I applied online. This is the standard backdoor message I work from:
Dear ____,
After having seen the posting for the ____ position you are seeking to fill, I just applied via ____ ((method.)) In addition, I wanted to make sure my résumé and cover letter are seen by someone in the ____ department. If you are not the hiring manager for this position, I would appreciate it if you would forward this e-mail to him or her. Thank you very much for your time and help.
Sincerely,
((your name here))
Then, make the e-mail subject line something like, “Hi (recipient’s name); could you help?” Most people like to help – especially when it doesn’t take too much time or is not that difficult. Including the recipient’s first name will help avoid any suspicions your e-mail is simple spam.
When you completely can’t find anyone to e-mail, there’s no general e-mail address listed at the web site, and you don’t want to call, here’s another idea. If the company has a Contact Us page with fields to fill in to e-mail them, do this: With most browsers, right-click, and choose “View Page Source” to reveal the html code. Then, press Ctrl-F to search for “@”. This may show you the general e-mail address. https://www.thegeneral.com/about/contact is a good example where this technique works. Then you can e-mail your backdoor message with attachments.
Sometimes, like with Craigslist job postings, you won’t know the company at all. In this case, don’t fret about not being able to backdoor. Just use your spreadsheet to keep up with the TO e-mail address you used when you applied, and e-mail your follow up to the same address.
If you’re concerned about the legality of backdooring, know this: After checking with several HR professionals, I found that most companies do have a reporting stipulation that requires them to have accurate demographics of those who apply for positions, and HR usually expects applicants to come through them.
Although some companies have more stringent policies regarding what should happen when a manager or employee receives your résumé (as far as turning it over to HR), you should absolutely backdoor it after you apply the traditional way. Applying through the “front door” should assuage any concern about fairness or regulations.
If you are fortunate enough to get your résumé in front of the hiring manager for a position you want—and if you’re qualified, the job is actually open and you made a good impression—it could only be to your benefit to backdoor. If the hiring manager is impressed and wants to hire you, HR is unlikely to hinder the process. If you’re on the receiving end of a résumé regarding a position at your company, check to see what your HR department’s policy is in this situation.
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