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October 2, 2012 1:15 PM

How do you know when to resubmit a job application?

I'm job hunting, and a bit ignorant of the conventions, as I've spent most of my adult life in academia.

About two months ago, I applied for a professional position at a firm with the encouragement of a contact there (a colleague from graduate school, who has been working there for about a year and a half now, we'll call her Mary). Mary looked over my resume and cover letter, and submitted it to her boss (the hiring director) on my behalf, rather than having me send it through HR. This was early August. There was a posting on the company website at that time, but nothing on LinkedIn.

Apparently they got slow on hiring for this position, however, a month ago (4 weeks after I submitted the application through my contact), I checked in with Mary. She wasn't sure where they were in the hiring process, but the hiring director had mentioned me positively within the few days previous. So I sat tight. The posting was down from their website as of mid-August.

I just discovered that the company posted the position on LinkedIn two weeks ago, and it is not on their own website.

Here is my conundrum: Should I resubmit my application, via the official channels (i.e., the LinkedIn link), to show that I am still very interested in the position? If so, how should I adjust my cover letter? Are there any potential drawbacks to doing this, and if so, what are they?

(I am not enormously concerned that Mary did not actually pass along my application. It's not her style, and she has referred me to other people in her network who are hiring, who have reported that she has spoken very highly of me).

posted by amelioration to work & money (6 answers total)

Ask Mary. If you don't get a conclusive answer from her, ask the contact on the LinkedIn link. You'll look clueless if you submit an application when you are already being considered for a position, but not if you ask whether you should.
posted by grouse at 1:27 PM on October 2, 2012

I asked Mary, she wasn't sure what was going on, and is currently out of the country. There isn't a contact given on the LinkedIn posting for the job, just a link to submit an application. Would sending an inquiry email to the generic HR address on the company website be appropriate?
posted by amelioration at 1:50 PM on October 2, 2012

Absolutely resubmit through HR. It doesn't hurt anything and at some point to get in their system, you have to do that anyway.

It hurts nothing, and only enhances your chances. On your cover letter mention that you had passed your resume to the hiring manager via Mary.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 2:30 PM on October 2, 2012

How do you know when to resubmit a job application?

When you want a job that's being advertised. That simple. What's going to happen if they don't like it - simply you don't get it, they don't take a contract out on your life, they don't hunt you down, they just say no. Or you put it in an application and get it - result Yay!

I got my current job the second time around, then promoted.
posted by biffa at 3:22 PM on October 2, 2012

my rule of thumb is one year, but IMO there is absolutely no harm in resubmitting with a "Hey I applied a month ago and am still really interested because XYZ" sort of note.
posted by Xany at 7:25 AM on October 3, 2012

Thanks for the reality check, all. I couldn't get in touch with Mary, so I updated my cover letter to reflect that it was a resubmission of an application I had submitted via Mary in August and sent it in through the official channels.
posted by amelioration at 9:12 AM on October 3, 2012