Applying to jobs online vs. submitting a resume and cover letter in person.

I'm in a very different industry, but I had some luck cold calling for jobs over the last couple months. Here's what I did: 1. If they wanted applications online, I did that and then skipped to step 3. 2. If there was no online application system, then I found out the name and email address of a manager who I would conceivably work for. If I couldn't get that, I would get at least the HR person contact. Then I would send my resume and a work sample (which is typical in my industry, but not ubiquitous at my level) via email. 3. After about a week, I sent a physical copy of my cover letter, resume and work sample in the mail (addressed to the person in step 2). 4. A couple weeks after that, I called the person to whom I addressed my letter and said something along the lines of "This is mullacc, the guy who sent you that [work sample]. I'm going to be [in your city / in your part of town] for an interview, would you mind if I stopped by to talk?" Actually, I only reached one person directly out of about 40 calls--the rest I left voicemails for. Which was fine--in fact, after a few run-arounds with assistants, I started calling after hours and using the automated company directory to ensure that I got to voicemail. Most people never responded. A few did, but said they were too busy or weren't hiring. But around 15% of the people I cold-called agreed to interview me, which I think was a good conversion ratio.

When I apply online to a job I think is a good fit, I hop on LinkedIn and starting reaching out to people whose job titles imply they might be in the department or at least know the hiring manager. Then I try to set up meetings with them. I'll typically send a "connect" invitation, specifying "friend", and then in the invite I'll say something like, we haven't met, but I noticed you do X at Company Y and I'm looking for a position doing X also. Would you be open to having a cup of coffee sometime? Then when you meet them, you'll describe the role you're looking for, why you're qualified for it, and you'll find out something about your target company, such as the name of the hiring manager, where they are in the process, etc. Best case, your new friend will offer to forward your resume to people they think might be interested. Worst case, you've now got a connection in this company. This works for me more than half the time, it's actually kind of fun.

I agree with runningwithscissors: You are in the marketing field- market yourself! Make sure you are on EVERY social networking site, not just you personally, but your brand. If you don't have a brand, make one. Buy the domain, create a website, have a blog, twitter, facebook, linkedin, and everything else you can think of. Find people who work for the companies you like the most and take them out to lunch/dinner/beers. Find out if those companies are really worth pursuing, and not just fantasies. Find out who the major players are there, pass your resume along to those people to pass to the players, as long as you aren't using them and they don't feel like you are using them Get out there and show how effective you are at what you want to do- market. The only way to get your foot in the door, so to say, is to prove how great you are in your field. Our society is so jaded, we have so many companies pushing all of this crap at us that we are much better at filtering. The only way you are truly going to be able to create a following/draw interest, is to have them come to you. The only way you can do that is by offering something that no one else has thought about, or something packaged differently than what is out there... and being authentic. And, most importantly, work on your elevator pitch and make yourself accessible. Good luck.

Nowhere I've worked would take you more seriously because you showed up at the door and handed your resume to a receptionist, and certainly they would not call someone out to come talk to you. But I've worked at large software companies, so YMMV. You never know what a marketing organization will think is a ballsy, out-of-the-box move. Hey, otherwise you're sitting around in your underwear all day, so why not try it. In the places I've worked, the way to get a human to look at your resume is to have a current employee of the company submit your resume through their internal referral system. You really don't know anyone in your industry? No school friends with jobs? No professors with industry contacts? You had an internship and a part-time job in your field and you made zero contacts? I mean, I'm an ignorant programmer and I don't know much about marketing, but isn't this what communications/marketing types are for? Exploit any connection you have, however tenuous, as shamelessly as you think you can get away with. You have to have met a few people in your former jobs. Find them on LinkedIn and ask for help.

Follow up your emails requesting information interviews with a phone call. Then another phone call. Ask your former professors for informational interviews (if they actually work in the field). Ask them for their friends/colleagues/contacts who work in the field and get informational interviews with them as well. Ask all these folks how the hell you break into this field. Ask them how you could improve yourself so that you are marketable and would beat out the person just like you hadn't done x. Do some volunteering. Seriously. Volunteering is good for the head. Wherever you volunteer probably has a marketing/PR/communications person who you should ask for an interview, etc... best of luck to you

When someone shows up without an appointment, I don't see them. I honestly don't have time for that. When someone mails a hard copy, on nice quality paper, I'm more inclined to read it rather than just scan it. On the other end of things, I have always had very good luck by hand-tailoring my resume to the particular job I'm applying for. I don't send out very many, but I probably have a 90% callback rate. And yeah, that includes in 2008/recession, which was when I last went job hunting. I've also had good luck going through recruiters. Some of them are a waste of time, but the good ones will sell you to a company in a way that most people don't have the chutzpah to do for themselves.

I work in advertising, and I hire people. At my company, showing up unannounced, and inquiring to speak to someone would get you pretty much nowhere fast; you'd speak to the receptionist and that would be about it. If your resume found it's way to my desk (possible, not probable), I probably wouldn't read it, as we have methodology in place for our hiring process. Without the first couple of layers (call to you from an in-house recruiter after resume submission, HR speaking to me to see if the resume was a fit for our team), there's no way that we would take your resume seriously. This has been standard at the several agencies that I have worked at in my career. Keep on sending out resumes through the channels that the agency requests - if you're a fit for something, someone will get a hold of you. Good luck.

Your parents' suggestion is certainly one method, and it can work, but the other responders are correct when they say that your parents don't seem to aware of current job market trends. The suggestion to focus most of your effort on networking is correct. Sending resumes via email or web site is better than nothing, however.

Job hunting is a job in itself. You need to apply to as many jobs fitting your description as possible. 57 job application is not enough. Sometimes it takes a lot less (lucky), sometimes more. You need to search & apply more. I recommend signing up with all major job sites (CareerBuilder, Monster, HotJobs), monitor local newspapers & Craigslist. You need to be among the first to apply to a new job in order to increase your chances of getting a job interview. After you've applied online, send the resume by fax 2-3 days later. Wait 2-3 more days and call their human resource manager. If he rejects you on the phone do ask nicely for a feedback on your job application. This way, you'll surely find out what you're doing right ... and what you're doing wrong and adjust. Hope it helps.