No One Deserves to be Ghosted! 👻

Ignoring applicants, or even ghosting candidates after an interview has become the norm. In fact, I’ve even heard of candidates who were told they could expect an offer being ghosted.

And it’s not OK.

Well, I can’t give you strategy to end these practices. But I CAN give you some tips to minimize the chances of it happening to you.

So that’s what today’s newsletter will be about - but before we get to that, I want to make sure that the content and topics this newsletter covers are the ones you most need. Got questions or ideas for me? Share them here.

And now on to the topic…avoiding the dreaded ghost. 👻

Apply via the company’s website

There are mixed opinions on this but I will ALWAYS apply directly with a company vs applying on LinkedIn/Indeed - and on a recent poll I did, 2/3 jobseekers said they had greater success this way.

Look, in some cases, there may be no difference.

But in others, there are technical issues which result in apps through these systems not being pushed through to the company properly so you can get reviewed AFTER the direct applicants - and this puts you at a disadvantage.

In other cases, some recruiting teams focus on their direct applicants and then go check the large candidate pools in LinkedIn/Indeed if they need more applicants - this means you might end up never hearing from them.

One company I did some consulting work with had thousands of apps in Indeed, and there was no way to mass reject the whole group, so they would just ignore them.

Meanwhile, there’s really no risk in applying directly - there’s no circumstance in which a company ignores their direct applicants in favor on applicants on LinkedIn/Indeed.

Engage with the company on social media!

By following the company and people who work there, you can figure out who is more engaged online, what roles people recruit for, etc.

You can also casually drop comments like “just applied for the sales role - can’t wait for my interview!” (if you’re job searching publicly.

This will help keep you top of mind, and if you don’t hear back, the social media team might notice and follow up.

Apply with a referral if you can!

Most companies are extra attentive to referrals. Why? Because a current employee is vouching for them which usually means they are pretty well qualified, and because they know their colleague will hear about it if their referral doesn’t have a good experience.

Now, to get a referral, focus on your actual networks - people you’ve worked with, friends, people with shared hobbies, etc.

There are services that also sell referrals - I wouldn’t use them and most people recommending them are being paid to do so.
Why am I against this?
Because companies check the quality of a referral and if it’s clear the referrer doesn’t know you, they aren’t going to pay much attention to it.

After applying, if things aren’t going well in the process, ask your referrer to follow up on your behalf - they’ll be able to get a response even if you’re not.

Reach out to people at the company after applying

Why? This helps bring attention to your application, and helps you begin to establish a relationship.

Here’s who I would contact:
1. Check the posting on LinkedIn - some will tag the recruiter or hiring manager - if so, message that person!
2. Search for the company name, the word recruiter, and the department your target role is in (ex. Zapier marketing recruiter).
3. Search for people in the department you’d like to work for, particularly those who could be the person you’d be reporting to or a peer (ex.sales manager Zapier)
4. Any connections who work at the company

Then send a simple message like this:
Hey Sarah!
I just applied for the Product Marketing Manager role - I noticed you oversee the Product Marketing team - are you hiring for this role? If so, I’m excited to introduce myself.
I’ve been in Product Marketing for the last 5 years and think that my would make me a great fit for this role.
This really looks like a dream job for me, and if there’s anything aI can expand upon from my application, let me know.
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Bonnie

It’s OK to send something like this to multiple people - what this will do is increase the chances that someone sees it, is excited about your application, and advocates on your behalf and respond to you.

Follow up politely

I like to give companies a week before checking in (unless they suggested a different timeline). And make sure to check your spam folders, promotions/updates tabs, etc. as well.

And then it’s perfectly OK to check in!

No response to an application?
Message a recruiter at the company (or a few) with a message like this:

“Hi!
I submitted an application for the Content Specialist role about a week ago, and haven’t heard back yet. I’m sure you have a huge applicant pool, but this role is my top choice, and I’m confident that my experience with make me a great match.
Are you recruiting for that role, or could you help me figure out who is so I can check in with them?
Thanks for your help!
Bonnie

If you don’t hear back after 48 hours, then it’s fine to follow up with a few other people - you could even try a Recruiting Manager from the company. As a manager myself, I want to know if applicants aren’t hearing back from us!

No response after an interview?
First, check in with the recruiter via email.
If they don’t respond, check in with the hiring manager (you should have their name after a recruiter screen - always ask if they don’t offer!)
And again, you can always contact a Recruiting Manager

Apply for roles that you’re truly qualified for

What does this have to do with maximizing your chances of a response?!

Well, here’s the hard truth - recruiters are flooded with applicants and DMs, and the vast majority aren’t qualified for the roles they’re applying for.

Recruiters are going to focus their energy on the most qualified candidates - so by simply being truly competitive for a role, you are already going to minimize your chances of having your application ignored. You can use a free tool like Jobscan to check how well your resume aligns with the application.

I know this isn’t something people like to hear but I do think it’s the reality.

Applying with a referral, messaging the recruiter and the hiring manager, etc. - none of that is going to help you in your search if you aren’t also qualified for the role.

In Closing…

You can’t prevent a company from disengaging from the hiring process. And in general, I like to assume that when a company acts this way in the hiring process, they are likely equally dismissive of their employees - not a great place to work.

But it doesn’t feel good to put effort into an application and interview, only to have the recruiter stop responding.

Putting forward really strong applications, networking consistently, and following up consistently are the keys to maximizing your chances of hearing back.

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The In-Flight Amenities 🍱

Jobs you need to check out:
Zapier is hiring as always!
A friend of mine has a Sr. Recruiter role open - if you’re bilingual (English and French) and able to work EST hours, check it out!
Just spotted this Program Design and Innovation role that could be great for my more senior educator friends.
And for folks with school leadership experience, here’s a great leadership development role!
I know I’ve got lots of UX folks in my network - check out this role posted by the hiring manager at Salesforce!
And here’s a Content Designer role - this links to the hiring manager!
I saw this Sales Enablement role that could be a match for the sales folks in my community!
For all of my ed tech friends, check out this Account Executive opportunity!
This TX-based Enterprise AE role it still accepting applications!
Interested in helping to develop a NEW video game with Blizzard Entertainment? Lots of cool jobs for software engineers listed here by the recruiter!
For my marketing friends, check out this Performance Marketing opportunity.
And as always, I share jobs regularly in my Talent Collective! (If you’d like to share jobs, we’d love to have you!)

A jobseeker you need to hire: Meet Allie Renar!
Allie Renar is a talented professional with a passion for building world-class customer experiences. With years of experience as an Operations Manager and Content Writer, she has worked with startups, e-commerce companies, and non-profits to develop and execute strategies that drive growth, engagement, and revenue. Allie is known for her strong focus on leadership, communication, and data-driven decision-making, making her a valuable addition to any team.

Allie is looking for an opportunity in Business or CX Operations, where she can leverage her skills and experience to make a meaningful impact. She has a particular interest in working with non-profits, tech4good, or mission-driven companies to help build innovative products and services that address pressing social and environmental challenges. Allie is passionate about using her skills to contribute to positive change and is excited to explore new opportunities in this space.vvvvvvvvvvvcccc

She’s also an author, who uses AI to generate illustrations! You can check out her work here!

Think you might have a role that’s a good fit fo bvwACFDAllie, or be able to help make a connection? Add her on LinkedIn, or email her, and let’s get Allie hired!

Interested in having your story shared? Sign up here!

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