Has Anyone Ever gotten a Job/Interview through an Online Application?

Trying to get some numbers here.
Obviously, I know success rates are very low.

But I'm wondering if anyone here has ever done it, or heard of anyone who successfully did it.
This is assuming 0 networking, though.

 

yes, I was very surprised when I got about 5-7 interviews from cold resume drops this past SA recruiting season, although I ended up taking a BB IBD offer I networked for. a couple MM IBD, a few BB IBD/mid office roles, and 1 or 2 other random finance internships were the interviews i got from cold drops. absolutely apply for everything you can since you never know when these opportunities arise.

 

Got a BB IB offer through an online application. Also got interviews to two top boutique MM banks including superday invites through online applications, didn't see them come to fruition only because the BB IB offer had an explosion date.

"Yes. Money has been a little bit tight lately, but at the end of my life, when I'm sitting on my yacht, am I gonna be thinking about how much money I have? No. I'm gonna be thinking about how many friends I have and my children and my comedy albums."
 
Best Response

Every single interview/job I've gotten was through online apps.

In terms of data points... Interviews/superdays: GS, JPM, DB, Citi, CapOne, Lazard, Evcore, Blair (all IBD except CapOne), Microsoft, fifty thousand "bulge bracket" PR firms Jobs: Big 4, Tier 2 consulting, MM IBD x3 (internships), F500 product marketing (internship), boutique PR/marketing

The trick is this: if your resume looks good to HR, they do a phone screen. During the phone screen, ask for the name of your first-round/superday interviewer and/or his boss (I usually just ask "Who's the head of the XYZ group I would be interviewing with?")

Then do some background research and networking before your interview. You'll then be entering the interview with them already familiar with/liking you. I prefer this to the usual networking -> apply -> interview because you still need to get through the HR gatekeepers.

Currently: future neurologist, current psychotherapist Previously: investor relations (top consulting firm), M&A consulting (Big 4), M&A banking (MM)
 
chicandtoughness:

Every single interview/job I've gotten was through online apps.

In terms of data points...
Interviews/superdays: GS, JPM, DB, Citi, CapOne, Lazard, Evcore, Blair (all IBD except CapOne), Microsoft, fifty thousand "bulge bracket" PR firms
Jobs: Big 4, Tier 2 consulting, MM IBD x3 (internships), F500 product marketing (internship), boutique PR/marketing

The trick is this: if your resume looks good to HR, they do a phone screen. During the phone screen, ask for the name of your first-round/superday interviewer and/or his boss (I usually just ask "Who's the head of the XYZ group I would be interviewing with?")

Then do some background research and networking before your interview. You'll then be entering the interview with them already familiar with/liking you. I prefer this to the usual networking -> apply -> interview because you still need to get through the HR gatekeepers.

excellent advice and insight
speed boost blaze
 

Yes. Too many to count.

"Look, you're my best friend, so don't take this the wrong way. In twenty years, if you're still livin' here, comin' over to my house to watch the Patriots games, still workin' construction, I'll fuckin' kill you. That's not a threat, that's a fact.
 
B2Banker:

When you guys say online do you mean online off the company website or does this include OCR online-resume drop without any networking? In my opinion OCR should not count as every resume from target OCR is going to get a review which is not comparable to applying for a position directly on company site without ocr.

All of my interviews except for CapOne and Evcore was online drop, not OCR.
Currently: future neurologist, current psychotherapist Previously: investor relations (top consulting firm), M&A consulting (Big 4), M&A banking (MM)
 

in the past, i've applied to tons of positions online and received absolutely nothing back many others i know have experienced the same without networking, i bet i probably could have applied to a good 50 firms online and heard nothing

do you think your experience is out of the ordinary? if so, what do you attribute to your success? i was pretty sure online resume drops were a black hole

reference: http://money.cnn.com/2010/02/18/news/economy/resume_void/

.
 

It is pretty random and I would never let your fate be determined by solely an online app- that said had a few places that I had 0 contacts at and ended up getting interviews- GS (regional office), Simmons (Houston), Robert Baird, and BAML were all like this. Simmons was particularly strange- received an email to set up a 1st round interview literally within an hour of submitting the resume through their website.

 

@Walkio- Yes referring to the US. I know that if you're applying to Japan, Germany etc. then online applications make up the majority of those they bring in for interviews and eventually offer internships to.

 
dublin:
Not at a BB, but at a few of the "Financial Leadership Development Program" style things, I applied online and got at least a first round on the phone. Hands down though, if you have the time, network your ass off - once I started cold-calling and cold-messaging on LinkedIn, my interview rate skyrocketed.

Did you cold call/email/LinkedIn for FLDP programs at F500 or just with BB's?

looking for that pick-me-up to power through an all-nighter?
 

Both. Incessantly.

My school didn't have many alumni connections in finance, and my family is not at all connected either, so LinkedIn was my best friend from January of junior year until I got a job January of senior year. I messaged at least several dozen people from a variety of companies.

Also, FYI, there are way more FLDP-type programs than I've ever seen mentioned on this board. I went to the website of every single F300 company to check, and found a whole bunch to apply to, whether they were called FLDP or something similar.

 

I was invited to a GS superday for summer analysts bypassing 1st round interviews through an online application. I didn't have any connections or know anybody.....and I also did not get an offer, all I got out of it was exposure to the superday experience.

"One should recognize reality even when one doesn't like it, indeed, especially when one doesn't like it." - Charlie Munger
 

Some companies read every single resume that comes through via online. They are very few but COF does this for sure.

If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses - Henry Ford
 

think it varies quite significantly between US and UK. on campus recruiting seems to be the norm in the US from what I can gather but from personal experience, in London nearly all internship/grad jobs come through online applications.

getting a job through networking isn't as prevalent here compared with the states

Blue Horseshoe loves Anacott Steel
 

Having been the first year who had to compile and print the online resumes, you would be surprised how many place they actually get read. If you would be competitive in OCR, you will probably be competitive via the website apply link.

That being said, you should network if you can. Just because you are decent on paper doesn't mean anyone is going to push for you, which is very helpful in the middle part of the process, especially if you couldn't differentiate yourself in the first round interview (which is hard to do).

 

I've gotten many interviews over the years from linkedin drops, website drops, and other opaque channels. My last two jobs came from online applications like efinancialcareers and doostang.

That being said, I've had a far better hit rate with networking and headhunters for interviews per application.

--There are stupid questions, so think first.
 

Do you guys mention your ethnicity/race when the question is asked during an online application or you do you select the "wish no to disclose" option? Does it actually have an effect on your application?

 

Instead of trying to figure out how likely it is to get an interview, I suggest you just think about the following:

Does it ever happen: yes. Will it happen to you: probably not. Should you apply online anyway: of course.

“Success means having the courage, the determination, and the will to become the person you believe you were meant to be”
 
ixjunitxi:
Pretty unlikely, you have a better shot of emailing the recruiters directly. Find them through your careers website or linkedin.

Just emailing people involved in recruiting that you find on linkedin? What would be appropriate to email them: "My name is xxx, applied for xxxx position and was hoping to speak with you to learn more about the opportunity." And would this really be a way of "getting your foot in the door" per say.

 

Not the best way to go, but it's possible. It certainly doesn't hurt to try. I had below a 4.0, went to a non-target state school, and got an offer with a top firm without a referral. I've seen the same thing done in IB, Consulting, and F500 (in order of least common to most common). Don't overestimate your competition.

Of course, if you can get referred, and if you go to networking events and meet people, this will increase your chances. Personally, I went to OCR events at a nearby target school.

 

The hit rate is much lower when applying online, but I've gotten more than a handful of interviews through online applications. It might be a bit different for people without experience though. I'm guessing I had moderate success since I have experience and many of the applicants are coming from different industries. Its worth the shot if you see an opportunity that is interesting, but because of the low success rate I don't even bother including a cover letter unless specifically requested in the description.

 

I don't think it's impossible because I have been hearing otherwise. I assume there are some HR "screens" that are standard for all "apply online" and those that pass the screen will get interviews with or without referrals, but not sure if this is true or not.

 

That's a slight exaggeration. Although I haven't tried it before. I would try to go through a head hunter, or network within the firm with alumni. Better odds doing it this way.

Fear is the greatest motivator. Motivation is what it takes to find profit.
 

The reason it's so tough to get a response from applying online is that most major companies have automated programs that auto-ding applications that don't meet certain specific requirements right off the bat. If this happens, your application never gets looked at by a pair of human eyes. That being said, I've definitely heard of people who make it through to interviews from only applying online.

 

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All the world's indeed a stage, And we are merely players, Performers and portrayers, Each another's audience, Outside the gilded cage - Limelight (1981)
 

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If the glove don't fit, you must acquit!
 

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