How To Get Your Résumé Into the Right Hands

Most (if not all) job seekers spend a large amount of time applying for jobs that have been posted to an online job board.  Other than hitting “send” and crossing your fingers, is there anything else you can do to ensure that your résumé is actually seen and read by a human?

Yes, yes there is.

The truth of the matter is that once you hit “send”, you have no way of telling if anyone actually sees your résumé.  It feels like you are throwing a pebble off of an ocean liner while at sea….diminutive and overwhelming.

You need to find the hiring manager….or someone close to the hiring manager….and get your résumé/cover letter into his/her hands.  The best way to do this is to merge your online world with the tangible world.  Emails are easy (too easy) to delete; phone calls can be ignored; texts are unprofessional.  Believe it or not, mailing your resume/cover letter will work – as long as they do not give the appearance of being junk mail.  Mail is such a novelty now-a-days.  If it is received, the chances are high that it will be opened and looked at, and that is the entire purpose.

To find the hiring manager, you will need to conduct a bit of research. Most online job postings do not list the person who is responsible for hiring…with one notable exception – LinkedIn.   

If you applying to a job that has been posted to LinkedIn, the person who posted the job (and his/her connection to you) is listed on the right-hand side of your screen.  To describe this information as “valuable” does it an injustice.  Simply find where he is located and mail a copy of your personalized, customized résumé and cover letter to him.

If the job is not posted on LinkedIn, you can still conduct a search for the person.  LinkedIn’s “advanced search” feature is a wonderful place to start.  Plug in the company’s name and the geographical location for the job you are interested in.

If you get someone near the hiring manager, that may be good enough.  People do not like to throw away mail. They like to pass it to the right person, and a letter that has been handed from a trusted co-worker will usually be looked at….much more so than an unsolicited email.

However, two words of warning.

1. Do not simply send your correspondence to every single person you find.  Analyze who the best person would be and focus on getting your résumé/cover letter delivered to him/her.  If you simply send a résumé to everyone you can find, the hiring manager may receive 10 identical copies of the résumé from 10 different people.  This does not indicate thoroughness.
2. Do not ignore the requested submission method.  If the job post asks you to submit a copy to a generic email address via an online form, do so.  One of the qualities that recruiters and hiring managers look for is the ability to follow instructions.  So follow them; just go above and beyond in your efforts.

For more advice on creating the perfect résumé, visit Snelling’s résumé section on the Snelling Candidate Resource Hub.  In addition, bookmark this blog or subscribe to its RSS feed.  We publish weekly job search advice, geared to help you find your perfect job.

By Christiane Soto,