I remember someone here typing something about that we should not give our Résumé to HR , but the person that will be doing the hiring ? I can not remember who said it. What do you guys think. For example am about to apply for a Psych Prof today. Should I give it to HR or the deparment head ?
As I recall there was divided opinions on whether to bypass human resources. A person who hires said he would reject a candidate who bypassed human resource on the grounds such a person could not follow directions or something to that effect. Follow the policy or procedure of the employer although sending an introductory email to the department head, without your resume, in addition to applying through human resources cannot hurt you. If you are applying to an online school just send the application to human resources or to whomever the advertisement says.
It probably depends on the company in question's culture. I know that my company would not mind at all if a qualified applicant gave their resume directly to the engineers or our Chief Technology Officer bypassing HR. I'm sure in some companies that might be cause for the resume to go right to the trash can, though. It might not be a bad idea to just call and ask first. On this same note, if anyone reading this is a physics grad with experience in optical design or optical engineer looking for a job in the DC/Baltimore region, feel free to PM me and bypass HR with your resume.
That was me and that is said because HR has very strict guidelines. We can not even talk to internal candidates about open positions if they want to transfer. That must go through HR.
Ah, yes. That is the remark I recalled but forgot the exact wording. The automated applicant systems are likely one reason people try to bypass HR since most of the time it seems applications disappear into a black hole never to be seen again.
Where I work it's the department head that makes the hiring decisions, not HR. Putting your resume into the hands of the department head shows at least one thing: you've bothered to figure out the name of the department head. To the extent that you can tailor your cover letter to appeal to the current needs of the department, etc., etc. you remain on top of the situation. Researching the organization to which you are applying, being aware of their current projects & challenges (sometimes this is available through the popular press) creates the impression that you are a person who goes that extra mile to understand the current situation. This is not a bad impression to create. In a competitive hiring environment EVERYTHING counts. If you're unsure about the destination of your resume, send multiple copies. It's not either/or, it's both. (also, don't send the same cover letter)
What I have done and I would do is both. I would approach a department head/chairperson and introduce myself and drop off a resume plus let them know that I am in the system via HR/Computer, etc. This is how I got two academic jobs. It is my personal opinion that the nicest, most accentuated, and most frequent memory as an applicant gets better exposure to getting the job. Memory and impressions are very important. It is like cold calling and trying to get past the secretary in sales. In this case you are trying to get past all the crazy red tape and show that you are a real person. I am always giving out my card after making a significant contact. Most of the time I get a positive response. Just my two cents.
Thanks for all the advice so far .. I know I am going to get a job down . But here is a a question for BlackBird what should my card say ?
Now that works for me! It shows you can follow the process but want to go a step further. It is like saying, "I know what the rules are and I followed them but here is my resume because it is so good you will see it sooner or later"
I have a couple. Most important is your name and contact info. I list my degrees, and I give myself a title like "Humanities Instructor", whatever I'm going for at the time. I include a few short lines on my accomplishments if there is room. I would want an employer to know that I have successfully created classrooms online using various e-learning management systems (WebCT, Blackboard, Angel, eCollege, Moodle, etc.) since most colleges are looking for instructors with that experience. Here's a link about creating miniresumes. http://jobsearch.about.com/od/sampleresumes/a/miniresume.htm
Personally, I would give it to both. HR needs it to formally process you as a candidate and you may be the person the department head wants. I have had situations where my resume would not make it through HR because the people in HR were clueless about the job in which I applied. For one job, I had a department head call me and work with me to get the "right" words on my resume to pass through the HR checkpoint. For another job, the program manager worked with HR from his end to get my resume through the system. IMO [no offense to HR personnel], but HR is a black hole of resumes. They are the gatekeepers that often times keep otherwise qualified people from hiring managers.
