When you've sent a cv should you receive confirmation?

[zippyswife]

Just that. I emailed my cv over a week ago. The closing date was at the end of last week and I haven't received any acknowledgement. Is this usual? the last time I applied for a job was about 13 years ago so I'm kind of clueless as to how these things work.

Also. If you are not shortlisted for interview do they respond to you at all to let you know. I'm sure most companies are different but just wondered if there was a norm at all.

I just keep checking my phone and email like a saddo in the hope I'll get some kind of response (I REALLY want this job!

[ThreeBecameFour]

Some people don't confirm. You just get called to interview or not. If you are not shortlisted sometimes they also don't tell you. You could politely contact the potential employer once a good amount of time has passed for feedback on interview or why you didn't make shortlist. They shouldn't mind as long as you are not hounding them.

[EvansOvalPiesYumYum]

Having worked in HR (Personnel) - I would say you should absolutely receive an acknowledgement - and I always did my damnedest to make sure that applicants received one.

Unfortunately, (having been on the receiving end of job applications) this is not always the case, not all companies do it, to their shame!

Regrettably, this is the way things are going nowadays - good manners totally out of the window >>>>>

[HolidayCriminal]

It won't hurt to phone up & ask to confirm that your CV was received. See if you can invent a question to ask to see if you get anyone's attention.
Keep looking, don't pin all your hopes to just this job!

[pixiegumboot]

Depends if the job you've applied for has any relevance to your experience. I do not acknowledge applicants who are copy writers when I've advertised for an engineer, for example.

[TamerB]

Unfortunately you rarely get an acknowledgement.

[TamerB]

If you don't get an interview you don't get anything either.

[BettyBotter]

No. Employers are receiving far greater numbers of CVs for every vacancy due to Universal Jobmatch (easy to send a CV by single press of a button), Jobcentre rules that every job seeker must apply for 5 to 10 jobs a week minimum (so people are applying to inappropriate jobs to keep up their numbers) and just the fact that more people than ever have access to computers and can email. So for every vacancy employers are getting literally hundreds and hundreds of CVs or applications.

It would be unrealisitc to expect an employer to reply to every single one. It would take them days and days just to reply saying thanks but no thanks.

You're lucky if you get a reply after you've had an interview.

[zippyswife]

Many thanks for all your replies. I might contact them in a couple of weeks time if I haven't heard anything.

[winniethepoohpooh]

No, it's unusual to get any sort of response unless you get an interview. I've even been to interview and heard nothing (and chased twice!).

It is crap but the way of the world now.

[EvansOvalPiesYumYum]

No. Employers are receiving far greater numbers of CVs for every vacancy due to Universal Jobmatch (easy to send a CV by single press of a button), Jobcentre rules that every job seeker must apply for 5 to 10 jobs a week minimum (so people are applying to inappropriate jobs to keep up their numbers) and just the fact that more people than ever have access to computers and can email. So for every vacancy employers are getting literally hundreds and hundreds of CVs or applications.

It would be unrealisitc to expect an employer to reply to every single one. It would take them days and days just to reply saying thanks but no thanks.

I don't entirely agree - when I worked in HR (many years ago), we didn't have the advantages of email, and I replied to every single person who applied for a job, or asked for literature about the company.

If it is so easy to apply for a job via the internet, then how hard can it be to set up at least an automated acknowledgement for each application?

I think it is really rude of any company not to do so, and totally demoralising for each applicant.

[AuditAngel]

I often have to interview and we can receive a huge number of CVs for each job. I know that in an ideal world I would acknowledge every CV and give feedback to each interviewee, but I am trying to do my own job, probably helping to cover the position we are interviewing for and there are never enough hours in the day.

I feel guilty now (especially as I have just applied for an internal move, had a telephone chat with the new boss, we have worked together for years and had asked for me but didn't think I'd want to make the move. She is just trying to get clearance for my current package -or ideally more)

[17leftfeet]

I've been job hunting since Christmas

I would say probably 5% of applications are acknowledged

I've had 2 interviews where the interview was the last contact I had from the company

I had one rejection where my feedback was 'you are too qualified for this job' so not exactly helpful

And one offer but I couldn't work the hours they wanted which were anti social hours and not specified -grrrrr!

[BettyBotter]

Evan - yes, but you worked in HR many years ago . I think the situation has changed dramatically in just the last year due to UJM. I spoke to a warehouse employer recruiting a basic picker/packer job who received more than 800 CVs the other day and another recruiter for an office job who received over 1000 CVs for one low level job. It would literally take somebody several day's work just to reply to each applicant. Tnat's just not a sensible use of employee time.

[TamerB]

I don't think that the large numbers are any excuse, it is easy to send emails. DS had very few acknowledgement it had arrived, nothing at all if he didn't get an interview; after the interview they would say that they would let him know in about 3 weeks. After 3 weeks he would contact and they would say don't be discouraged ,they hadn't decided and would let him know in tne fullness of time which meant he couldn't bother them again. Finally he would get a rejection- no feedback.
I think it was very poor.

[zippyswife]

So if I were to get to interview stage (although I'm feeling increasingly less confident now) would I be contacted by email or phone?

[EvansOvalPiesYumYum]

Thanks for that, Betty - but as I said, how hard would it be for an automated computer response to be set up, if the CV is sent via the internet? Not difficult at all, I would think. Not much manpower involved, yet still providing a polite reply.

[BettyBotter]

Yes, an automated reply would be sensible. An alternative is in the job vacancy stating if you don't hear by such and such a date then you haven't been successful. You couldn't send the same 'thanks but not today' reply to everyone as you will hopefully want to interview some of the applicants.

[EvansOvalPiesYumYum]

Again, not difficult - a simple "Thank you so much for the interest in our company. We are sorting through all the applications and will let you know if you are suitable for interview/the next stage. We may keep your CV on file for future consideration, if that is agreeable to you" - kind of thing.

Just polite - job-hunting is so demoralising

[BettyBotter]

Could be either Zippyswife. They use good old fashioned snail mail to invite to interview too, so don't be disheartened. The important thing is to make your CV specifically relevant to that particular job, showing how you match the vacancy spec, in order to shine through the piles of generic bla bla team work whilst also able to bla bla initiative bla bla hardworking bla.

Good luck - wanting the job is the very most important criteria!

[zippyswife]

Thanks again for your replies. As I say it had been a considerable time since I'd done a cv (15 years maybe?) Or applied for a job (13 years and that was filling in a paper form rather than a cv!) But I think I tailored it to the job spec (at least I aimed to!).

[EvansOvalPiesYumYum]

Zippy - you may be contacted by either phone or letter if you are successful - fingers crossed for you, best of luck!

[TamerB]

DS got interviews by phone or email, never snail mail.

[winniethepoohpooh]

If a company messes me around during the interview process then I usually withdraw my application. It never bodes well IME.

[TamerB]

My DS was desperate for a job, any job, so he couldn't be picky! Everyone wanted experience so he had to start anywhere.

[TamerB]

Maybe you can withdraw if you have experience.