Career - Applying To Employers Not Hiring Right Now - A Wise Move Or A Waste Of Time?

Are you looking for a career or job opportunity?
Is the career of your dreams eluding you?

Such a situation may arise if you are without a job at the moment. It could also be that circumstances at your present job are driving you mad, and you just can't wait for a career change.

People in such stages of their career often have the notion that the more jobs they apply for, the better are their chances of success in their job search. But there is a catch: is it worth applying to employers who are not recruiting at the moment? It is a question that haunts many desperate job seekers.

Now, gathering the right career information is of utmost importance before dropping off your resume to an organisation that has not advertised their hiring plans. The first step to take in your job search is to know for sure whether they are really hiring or not. May be the organisation is planning to recruit people, but is yet to advertise?

It is advisable to find out upfront if any positions are available before you actually submit your job application. If you enquire at a local business about recruitment and get a negative response, it may not be a bright idea to apply anyway, especially if you gave your name. It would be a wrong career planning move as it creates an impression that you are either inattentive, or you cannot take no for an answer.

Of course advance information that a business is not increasing its workforce, and being told as such when you drop in to submit your resume, are not one and the same thing. When you are told that the company is not hiring right now, it is advisable for your career planning that you ask their representative whether they have any recruitment plans in the near future. If they do, you could request them to retain your resume or your application. This is just to make sure that your application is considered for future recruitment.

Employers in some states are actually required to retain all resumes and applications they receive for a year or so. But that does not necessarily translate into your resume being still in contention. It would be a good idea to follow up with the company just to ensure your career planning moves are still on track.

The fact that many employers have to maintain job applications for a year is a nice thing for those posting resumes. This is because a company with a good number of applications in their files may fulfill their human resources requirement just by leafing through the accumulated resumes. This way they don't have to advertise that they intend to hire, or pay for professional recruitment services.

The downside of the whole exercise is the time lag between your application and the company's recruitment need. You see, most job seekers find a job in a short time, from a few weeks to a couple of months. If your forced application is actively considered say six months later, chances are that it is a bit too late for your career advancement because you have already got a job. If this is the scenario, the whole process of applying to organisations that are not hiring right now becomes pointless.

All said and done, career development through forced application requires a fine balancing act between go-getting and caution. You need to handle any rejection with the utmost tact. If you are told that the company is not recruiting now or in the near future, it is best to move on to greener pastures. Insisting that a prospective employer retains your resume for future reference when they are apparently not interested will only give you a bad name.

Your job search endeavours should by no means end up harming your overall career planning. It is ultimately your decision whether or not to apply to a company that isn't hiring at present, and you need to use that discretion well.