RE: Question about sending one's resume to companies

[Karen Casemier <karen -dot- casemier -at- provia -dot- com>]

Bruce Byfield wrote:
"That's why, when I've had a say in hiring, I've gone through all the 
resumes that were submitted, no matter how unfamiliar their senders 
seemed with the company. Oh, I grumbled, and I didn't keep up with the 
influx unless looking to fill a specific position. But I did find some 
fairly decent people that way. If I had used the same filter, I would 
have had a much harder time. In fact, I'm not sure that some of the 
positions could have been filled at all."

Well this statement right here is probably the root of our different
opinions. While I've been on the job hunter end for some time, this is
really the first time in my career where I've been in a position to hire
candidates. And to be in this position where I can't even visualize hiring
someone within the next two years... it gives me a completely different
perspective from the one Bruce has. Probably a one-sided one, too.

And, to make it even more interesting, I'm only in this position temporarily
(acting as department manager since the "real" manager is a reservist called
up to active duty).

Perhaps it is short-sited of me to throw the baby out with the bathwater, so
to speak. But I have an elephant to try to get into a refrigerator, so I
have work to do.

-----Original Message-----
From: Bruce Byfield [mailto:bbyfield -at- axionet -dot- com]
Sent: Wednesday, May 01, 2002 8:35 AM
To: Karen Casemier
Cc: TECHWR-L
Subject: Re: Question about sending one's resume to companies


Karen Casemier wrote:

>OK. Please refer back to the lurking thread some time ago when I
>specifically mentioned WHY I choose to lurk. I thought I was being helpful
>with my post. Unfortunately, it appears I've offended some people.
>
Since you singled out my reply for comment, I feel obliged to stress 
that I'm not offended. Disagreeing is not the same as being offended. I 
honestly hope that nothing I said discourages you from contributing in 
the future. 

>I don't blacklist people because they send unsolicited resumes. I'd like to
>direct Bruce and others who responded to me to the last paragraph of my
>original message:
>
OK, it's unsolicited submissions that don't show a familiarity with the 
company that you'd blacklist. But while that modification reports your 
position more accurately, it doesn't change my original statement.

 From a job-hunter's viewpoint, I agree with you completely. Job-hunters 
who don't show any sign that they 've researched the company to which 
they apply are lowering their chances. They're losing a chance to stand 
out from other applicants, and they risk offending employers. In other 
words, they're using poor tactics.

However, from an employer's view, I disagree. Discarding mass-mailing 
submissions would be a good way to weed out the mass of resumes - except 
for the fact that, as you say, very few people customize their 
submissions to the company. For that reason, refusing unsolicited, 
uncustomized resumes is not a very good filter; it's as likely to 
discard good job candidates as bad ones. That's why I believe that the 
practice isn't good for a company.

I mean, let's face it: as much as employers may dream of highly 
motivated employees, most are simply looking for a regular pay cheque. 
That's one reason, I think (besides the ease of them), why mass mailings 
are so common. While job-hunters may have some companies or industries 
they want to avoid for ethical reasons, most of them are probably less 
concerned with which company they work for so long than with working at 
a decent salary. For example, a Techwr-l poll about a year ago suggested 
that only a minority would follow the industry they were involved with 
if they weren't being paid. Naturally, employers are looking for that 
minority, but the reality is that most positions are probably going to 
be filled with the less strongly motivated. However, being less strongly 
motivated doesn't mean that someone won't do a professional, highly 
acceptable job, or that employers still don't want the best of the less 
strongly motivated - even though, ultimately, such people may be second 
best.

That's why, when I've had a say in hiring, I've gone through all the 
resumes that were submitted, no matter how unfamiliar their senders 
seemed with the company. Oh, I grumbled, and I didn't keep up with the 
influx unless looking to fill a specific position. But I did find some 
fairly decent people that way. If I had used the same filter, I would 
have had a much harder time. In fact, I'm not sure that some of the 
positions could have been filled at all.

-- 
Bruce Byfield 604.421.7177 bbyfield -at- axionet -dot- com

"'Hal-an-tow, jolly rumbelow,
We were out long before the day-o,
For to welcome in the summertime, 
To welcome in the May-o,
Summer is a-coming in and winter's gone away."
- Traditional, Halston Furey Dance




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