Best place to work? Humph! The Unemployment Line

by Cynthia Baxter

One of my many job-search strategies was to Google “best places to work in Indiana.” I quickly found the 2008 report by the same name. The list was comprised of the top 25 “large companies” and top 40 “small/medium companies.” I spent a lot of time going through the list, linking to each company’s overview then visiting each Web site. Of course, my process included trying to locate a careers section or listing of job openings.

I just revisited the list and remembered about 15 companies to which I submitted my resume. One of them, in particular, sticks out in my mind, but not for a positive reason.

Within a few days of my application to “Company A,” I received a call from an outside recruiter to whom my application had been forwarded. The recruiter conducted a lengthy phone screening, which seemed to go quite well. But near the end, she said Company A had actually placed the position on hold. Apparently the “powers that be” did not all agree the marketing position was essential. That’s what the recruiter told me anyway. In an email message, she also said, “I would like to keep you as a candidate in the pipeline for this opportunity when/if it opens up again.”

I checked back with the recruiter the following month and was told the position was still on hold. Two months after the phone screening, I noticed the position still appeared in Company A’s job openings. So, once again, I contacted the recruiter. Same story.

Then, in the following month, I met with a staffing firm. Just to differentiate, I’ll refer to my contact with that company as “the headhunter.”

Since I also intended to continue my own job search, the headhunter assured me she would contact me before submitting my resume to any company. Soon afterward, she left me a voicemail message and stated that she had submitted my resume to Company A.

I let the headhunter know I already had applied and spoken with another recruiter. Headhunter suggested I call Company A directly regarding the status. I tried, but the HR director would not return my calls.

More recently, I discovered the position was still listed on the company’s Web site. It was time for a new strategy.

My husband put me in touch with someone he knew at Company A, and she confirmed for me the top dogs I should contact. Once again, I submitted my resume, this time, directly to the decision-makers. I tried to build a case for the importance of having a marketing guru. Then, in a bold step, I offered two weeks of full-time service at no charge, just to have a chance to prove my skills.

Still, Company A did not return my calls. I’d be content with a generic email reply. Anything.

I’ve remained resilient, despite enduring many rejections. And I’m very careful not to burn bridges. However, I’ve decided that Company A should now be called, “Company Not-Worth-My-Time.”