"Spurned Job Candidate Asks: Should I Expect a Look from Company I Previously Interviewed With?" - 11/18/20 Edition
Stephen Says Column

 Dear Stephen, 

 I am out of a job and looking for work but feeling optimistic about what the new job search will turn up. I’ve gone after the same manufacturers for the last 10 years, right after college, so engagement with other players in the space I’ve worked in is very interesting to me. I recently received a referral (with a job description) for a great position at a large manufacturer. I have worked in our industry but I have never ever worked for a manufacturer, so this is new territory, and I was excited. I reached out and they said they had already filled the position, but they would keep me in mind for the future.
 
 I have — LinkedIn and other ways of working with hiring managers and HR at places I’ve been to already over the years — kept up on the people and what’s open. Every once in awhile I send out a ‘hello’ or quick follow-up. What is the best protocol or expectation for interviews at a company you have previously interviewed at? Is someone going over prior HR status to look at available files or their own resources. So far I have had a strong interview.
 
 A strange thing happened that I was only half prepared for. The new job opportunity was messaging me along with three other manufacturers about jobs. Two weeks later, a colleague called; he was recommended by one of the original places I had already talked to! Are manufacturers keeping files and resumes, and what’s the protocol if my resume already exists in their system?
 
 I tried to be completely professional and talk about my experience, but it seemed like the company already had some of the background information discussed. I get that they would have this info but I had only applied to each company once, and did not get an interview or even a response the first time. Why do you think they recontacted me?
 
 I am curious if companies really pay attention to disabled applications, previous applicants, etc. I would love to work with these companies and be considered for any future openings, but what is the etiquette in reapplying every year or so, even if I’m not being considered currently?
 
 Spurned and Wondering 
 
 You can send your career or workplace questions to Stephen Viscusi at stephen@viscusi.com. Viscusi is the bestselling author of “Bulletproof Your Job.” He is a commentator and recruitment expert for NPR, CNN, and Fox Business. Follow him on Twitter @StephenViscusi.
 
 My answer, is yes. I never thought it would happen, but the public’s urge for qualified candidates is real. I would recommend following up continually — let’s say once a year, or every nine months. I always tell candidates: the more you get looked at, the more likely you are to get hired. Do not get disheartened by not ever hearing back on an application or interview. Human Resources does keep all applications and uses their database to pull talent. Since the COVID pandemic, almost every company has had to change their hiring process, and so much more is now electronic. HR is looking for electronic applications and previous applicants have an edge over new applicants today, because you are already in the database. 

 The Interview Door was Slammed in My Face

Dear Slammed,

 Ouch! I know you must feel bad and I do not blame you. From the details you provide it sounds to me like an honest but unfortunate mistake in not being part of the HR/portal system. What you described really can happen. Let me explain how and why. HR departments are overwhelmed with the amount of resumes they are receiving today. Each company tries to locate or buy a technological database of everyone that has ever applied to them, for any position, and often the information is kept forever (they say forever!). And if an existing resume is input, that is tossed/edited in the future and made available to management in the future.
 
 Companies often believe they never knew anyone if they have an opening. Remember people are always quitting or getting fired, and things can reverse fast so the collection of candidate resumes on file is never called on before searching once again. An extra pool of candidates on hand they know is not as good as a fresh pool, or so they think, so they constantly advertise, collect, even brag about number of resumes, and how big the file is, so they never have to call — always shoot fresh. So unfortunately that is the modern way.
 
 Now that is the bad news — you do not like to take a step backward and re-enter your application or bring in your new one! But you should, because if you let it go, they have no knowledge of your continued interest and another opening may come up and you will have blocked yourself ahead. Here’s my high- ly suggested route if you are blessed enough to know someone or that you have already submitted your resume to the HR department. It was coded by Artifi- cial Intelligence and graded and routed accordingly, and you will never know if it was charged against you. That’s of course unless you contact HR and give the details of last opportunity you had when you got an interview, so they can look in their system. If they interviewed you already through something as simple as a name change, or you added a middle initial, or shortened your name to Steve from Stephen, for example. The AI system is not perfect. Or maybe human being in HR actually read your resume, though they would not forward the old, yet enter the newest for the current job.
 
 Interestingly both the hiring manager and the human resources team uses technology, but yours may not yet be entered on the bosses system, as they pull out the next fresh collection of resumes. So you should never be offended, however bad you feel, because it is not a personal issue, it is a technical, logistical necessity.
 
 I appreciate you believe you are a more experi- enced candidate than the hiring manager who rejected it already, but may be a day one accidental chance an HR member will not disbelieve the hiring manager, but go to the boss and say, “something about this resume is great” and you are considered. It could be as simple as they have two candidates alike, and the boss or subject matter leader likes you face-to-face. Do not give up! You must continue, and this is all about systems engineering and data and technology. Might sound like a slow proc- ess, and it is. My suggestion to you is update your resume so that you are — for sure — in the system, and do it with a note to HR that you have either changed or updated or visited again after you did not get the job last (and maybe even mention which posi- tion, or the boss/manager/department). And in your note, BTW, though I understand you are embar- rassed about being rejected, you need to say “thanks for previous love and interest noted in the system” and thought you would include the update “this is a new effort and you hope there will be another job coming up shortly” and let the person/hiring manager/leader/HR get a fresh take on you — make your hope/journey/effort and interest better than previous “lived in the data” and make it look fresh. Don’t wait for a job to open before you do this, focus on being in the system now and now. I have no doubt this will help.
 Hope you enjoy your job soon.
 
 Stephen