job application error - please help!

[kickingmyself321]

Absolutely kicking myself right now. I've been freelance for a while and now desperately looking to get back into full time work. My career background/skills are pretty niche, it's not like I can easily find roles out there.

Anyway, after months of looking, my dream job came up. Without meaning to boast, I have everything they are looking for (I'm hardly ever in this position!). I spent a whole day yesterday delicately crafting what I thought was the perfect application and submitting it onto the company's online career portal.

The ad didn't give the name of who I'd be reporting to, but after some sleuthing around I found the name of the woman who would be my boss, if I got the job. To make my cover letter personal, I addressed it to her, except...

I've just looked at it again, and I wrote the wrong name - think 'Dear Hannah' instead of 'Dear Helen'.

I'm so angry with myself. It's within an industry where a way with words is massively important, so it really doesn't look good.

Thoughts on what I should do? It's on their online careers portal, so I could withdraw the application and resend it - though that would be visible to them I think. I could drop HR a line. Or I could just leave it.

I'd love some advice. I can't believe I made such a silly mistake 😫

I do lots of recruitment at my work. You haven’t messed this up. I think it is much better to withdraw an incorrectly addressed application because if I saw that, I’d immediately be put off by the lack of attention to detail.

Don’t worry about a grumpy receptionist, you might have caught her in the middle of something or she might be having a bad day. That does NOT mean she won’t forward your email.

@MoodEnhancer - thank you for reassurance. I will wait to see if there is any kind of acknowledgment of my email today - and if not, call them again on Monday.

I guess a silver lining could be that if HR do see the email - that contained my (amended!) cover letter and CV, perhaps it's more likely to get attention that another application on their portal?

Don’t worry about it. you will find a way to submit it in some shape or form.

Call down and drop it in yourself if you have to, you will submit the CV and you will do your best to get the job.

stop stressing about the CV and start practicing for your interview

any hints on what the job will be like and what type of interview it might be?

Not sure - I don’t pay any attention to how an application ends up on my desk.

It may be worth saying something in the cover email to explain why you haven’t gone through the portal. So something to the effect of how the portal wasn’t functioning, which is why you have sent it by email instead. Don’t get into a long explanation of why etc - no one will read it.

What's the reason it gives for not letting you resubmit?

If it's duplicate email can you just make a new one? Takes two minutes.

This is also worth trying.

@3luckystars - thank you. The receptionist did just reply to my email and said it had been forwarded onto HR - fingers crossed.

@ASwimADay - so when you go into the system and click 'apply' for the role, it says 'you've already applied for this role' - but the status is marked as 'withdrawn'. I had explained in the comment box WHY I had withdrawn (intending to resubmit) so they might see that - but would HR really bother to look at withdrawn applications?

I could set up a new account with a different email address, but I don't know if that would look a bit mad now my applications has (apparently) been forwarded.

Ugh, such a faff and thank you for the help everyone. I will let you know if I get an interview!

Don’t submit it again! It was only worth trying the portal from a different email address if you didn’t want to submit by email. Now you have done so, do not do it another way.

Also, people have no time to waste on looking at previous versions of applications. So don’t worry about them opening your withdrawn version, even if it is on their system (which it won’t be.)

@MoodEnhancer - thank you. Yes, I'm not submitting another one - I've flapped around too much on this one already.

I really hope it lands on the right desk and I get an interview on the back of it - let's see. Thanks again everyone.

The receptionist is probably grumpy because often people try to speak to HR due to - I think - somewhat misguided advice about needing to connect with the hiring manager to stand out, so she may have thought you were trying to do that.

However it's possibly no bad thing that has happened as your CV and application arriving a different route from the others does make it stand out a bit, so fingers crossed for you.

@rookiemere - thank you. I will report back!

Hmmm, I would definitely just use another email and resubmit through the portal. I'd be worried about the emailed version getting through, and also, several times, arranging everything eg interviews, getting updates and then all the onboarding stuff after accepting got done through the portal so it might be a massive faff to be outwith it.

If you're Gmail, just put a random dot somewhere and it will still all come through to you. Or set up an auto forward.

@SneakerShoulders - well...I do have a second email address so it would be fairly straightforward to apply on the portal again.

What are people's thoughts on this? Sorry sorry 😖

@kickingmyself321 I think there is no harm in resubmitting with a different email address. If they see you submission twice, they will just think you are keen which is no bad thing.

I think that the Op's error will stand out even more if she resubmits personally.

If I saw an application from the same person with two different email addresses (which, admittedly, not sure I would, unless I had shortlisted them), I'd either think it was some sort of weird AI/spam; think that the applicant was hiding something/trying to work around the system (which, to be fair, would be true in this case); or wonder how the applicant totally forgot that they had already applied. Not sure if the automated system would somehow flag - probably not.

!I’d resubmit from a different email. If they’re using a portal, they’re going to want to run the process through that, not with random email applicants too.

To be honest, I think this is all a little scattered to be a good application now - researching the persons name is a bit too “creepy”, and then getting that name wrong, and then withdrawing and reapplying… but if it’s the perfect job, you want to be in with a shot, and for that reason, I’d reapply. I wouldn’t want to bet on an email application being considered, and I wouldn’t want to keep drawing attention to the old withdrawn application to explain why they needed to process yours separately. and when it comes it, if they’ve had a lot of applications, they likely won’t bother with any that don’t come through the right channel. Recruitment takes enough time!

The letter wasn't actually meant for her anyway. She may well not have been involved at this early stage of recruitment.
So they won't really pay attention. I honestly don't think it will blow your chances as that person wasn't even mentioned as a contact to address it to. They'll be looking at the content of what you've put, not the salutation.

I’d leave it and stop stressing.

I once applied for a dream job and forgot to attach my CV. Was mortified when the boss phoned asking for it 😭 ended up with the job in the end!

Hmmm....it IS the kind of portal that tracks progress of applications and updates with information re next steps, interviews and offers onto it, so...

Maybe I should? I guess the worst thing that happens is that someone sees I've sent the application twice. Probably better than risking the relevant person not seeing it at all?

@YouveGotAFastCar - if they don't see withdrawn applications, they'd have no idea I put the wrong name on the covering letter!

Exactly. They'll organise all interviews and everything through that.

I'd do it. I don't think you've got much to lose.

If your application doesn't progress please don't tie yourself in knots about this being the reason. The market is just absolutely saturated with applicants at the moment. Nevermind having all the relevant transferable experience, I've recently applied for jobs where I've literally done the exact role before (thinking it will be a guaranteed 'back up' if nothing else comes through) and been rejected - don't take it to heart!

Apply on the portal. You may even get an email back from HR advising you to do this.

@Winterjoy - thank you, aware I seem a bit obsessed over it 😂and the market is super tough right now.

It's just really unusual that a role comes up that aligns with my exact experience, so I really didn't want to cock it up at the application stage!

Right, I will also reapply from my other email address, and later pour myself a big glass of wine!