How do you go about getting a job at a specific company?

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Alright, so there is one specific organization that I have wanted to work for for years now. When I was just out of college and applying for jobs, I sent a resume but never heard anything. I check their web page regularly but they are never hiring (according to their employment page). But in books like What Color is Yr Parachute? and other jobseeking books, they always talk about how you have to take control, like find out where the boss hangs out and schmooze him up (which sounds stalkery to me) or set up an appointment to talk to the HR person, even if they say they aren't hiring. Does this work? Should I try it? Do some organizations/companies hire even if they aren't advertising an open position? What should I do to get hired by this company?

― Nick A. (Nick A.), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 17:21 (twenty-three years ago)

Companies absolutely hire if there's no position being advertised. Something my mom always told me, which is true: "The best jobs are never advertsied." Sending a resume and talking to HR would absolutely be a good thing.

― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 17:25 (twenty-three years ago)

Cross-post "repeating after Yancey" item:

The HR avenue is the most reasonable one: you tell them you know they're not looking for anything at the moment, but you really admire their yaddah yaddah yaddah and were hoping to speak with someone about possible future opportunities. You will get to go in and basically interview with someone; they will have your information on file, they will have a face to associate with the name, and if things go well you'll pop immediately into mind as soon as they are considering new hiring. And you've made it that much more likely that they will consider it: every time there's a staff issue to be worked out, the lingering thought might be "that very enthusiastic fellow would be perfect for taking care of this." (In other words, they can create a job to fit you, rather than the other way around.)

― nabisco (nabisco), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 17:26 (twenty-three years ago)

Your best bet is to make friends with someone from the company, and then they can work you in from the inside (often with a nice referral bonus for them). Yes, it sounds horrible, but that is what business is all about, exploiting connections. That is why I fucking hate it.

Possibly, with the current state of the economy, that company might not be hiring ANYONE without big-time connections to top level excecutives.

― fletrejet, Tuesday, 11 February 2003 17:49 (twenty-three years ago)

I'm not sure about the HR thing - in a company big enough to have one, they are often not really in the know about where different departments are at and just get involved when it comes to actually advertising.

People used to start in the post room. Does that still work?

― N. (nickdastoor), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 17:53 (twenty-three years ago)

However they will know the procedure that has to be gone through and when vacancies are most likely to come up.

― Ed (dali), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 18:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I'd sort of assume that if you really want to go work for a company, it's unlikely to be above 40 people (which is the sweet spot for needing a HR department, and the HR department being clued in), but that may just be me.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 18:02 (twenty-three years ago)

Nick, if you want to work for Clearchannel, just ask me! I can totally hook you up!

― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 18:17 (twenty-three years ago)

Yes, it sounds horrible, but that is what business is all about, exploiting connections.

This is the truth. The most important point of the Parachute book is that contacts will get you jobs. How big is the company? Tell *everyone* you know that you want to get a job there - maybe someone will know somebody who works there.

People used to start in the post room. Does that still work?

I was a file boy for a few months at the company where I got my first engineering job. Be super-nice to everyone, and people will want to help you. Maybe that's just in the South. *grin*

― Ernest P. (ernestp), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 18:23 (twenty-three years ago)

you have to be persistant too. sending them your resume just once won't do. if where you want to work is a big place, they probably get alot of resumes. so when they're hiring they would go through all the resumes they got in say, the last month and that would probably be it.

i'm doing the same thing right now myself with a couple places. good luck.

― dyson (dyson), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 18:46 (twenty-three years ago)

I'm not sure how big it is, but I have a feeling it's not very big. It's a local division of a nationwide organization. (I'm trying to keep the thread general, that's why I'm not saying specifically what company this is).
Ernest - I am in the South. Maybe I have a chance!
Yancey - Do I want to work for Clearchannel? You tell me.
Everyone - Thanks for encouraging words. I'll try and get the courage to call up HR peeps in the next month hopefully (I have to get shit like a new resume together first).

― Nick A. (Nick A.), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 19:12 (twenty-three years ago)

No, Nick, you do not want to work for CC. Trust me on this one.

― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 19:59 (twenty-three years ago)

I didn't think so.

― Nick A. (Nick A.), Tuesday, 11 February 2003 20:16 (twenty-three years ago)

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