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I don't think its fair for you to presume that just because the recruiter "appears" to be young, that she's no good at her job.
I personally wouldn't be put off by the "hi there", simply because I prefer a more human approach over the same old dry business clichés.
And she probably DOES have a ton of emails and is juggling a lot of different applicants for various jobs and may need a few more days to get back to you, so its also not fair to question her competence based on what she said during the phone call.
Also, for all you know, if you apply directly through the company's website, they may forward all applications to the recruiter anyway.
When's the deadline for applying? Can you wait a few days? Then if she hasn't gotten back to you, out of professional courtesy call or send her an email saying that you appreciate her contacting you (and tactfully put this info in the Subject line, so she'll see it without having to open the email); but you're really interested in the job and would like to move ahead on it, so you're going to submit your application through the website. If she gets back to you anyway, you know she's on the job; if not, your application is in anyway.
-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+lynne -dot- wright=tiburoninc -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+lynne -dot- wright=tiburoninc -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf Of Chris Morton
Sent: Tuesday, February 12, 2013 4:09 PM
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: Recruiting dilemma
Having been with my present employer 4-1/2 years, I'm a senior techwriter
who received an unsolicited email from a young recruiter last Friday. The
salutation read, *"Hi there..."*. Having been jerked around by too many of
these types over the course of my career, I was initially put off by this
impersonal/unprofessional approach but decided to reply. It turns out that
the job *is* of interest for these reasons: salary, location and security.
I can guess that the health insurance coverage is better, too. The employer
is a major player in this state.
Over the weekend I invested several hours customizing my resume and
drafting a purposeful (T-form) cover letter. Along with a third doc
representing professional endorsements that relate to the open position,
these I sent to the recruiter on Sunday afternoon. I then phoned her
yesterday morning and, when inquiring about receipt confirmation, was told,
"Oh.... I have a ton of emails and haven't gotten to yours yet." I also had
to remind her who I was and the position for which she had initially
solicited *me* (no big deal here, although I could just envision her being
more concerned about the length of her nails than about my inquiry.) In
viewing her LinkedIn profile, it's clear that this gal is very young; I'm
guessing that her recruiting career aspirations don't command her attention
weekdays.
This morning I went to the website of the hiring party and saw that the
position is advertised there, along with a method to apply directly. I'm
really tempted to try an end-run here, as I've not heard boo from the
recruiter.
Your thoughts?
> Chris
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^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
STC Vice President Nicky Bleiel is giving a free webinar on best practices
for creating mobile help.
