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.
Interview with Rothschild... 0 networking.
Know you might be looking for IBD positions but still a data point...
BAML - Middle Office, Goldman - Middle Office, Morgan Stanley - Middle Office all through online applications.
appreciate any and all data points again, this is just for the sake of curiousity maybe it'll help other WSO users
Yeah. .. but not for ibd. You obviously know you need to network, so why bother questioning the odds of getting in without networking?
i'm just curious obviously networking is pretty much everything, but i simply want to know if anyone has ever had anything come of simply applying online
BlackRock PMG, GS IBD, JPM IBD - online only
that's really impressive just from filling out online forms? what's your background?
BlackRock and JPM I was already interviewing with other divisions.. figured why not and applied online to IB. Went to a target ivy, but these weren't OCR
Yup...plenty
Only time for IBD was for SA at a mm bank. Had more success with middle office roles and a few front office roles at AM firms.
Actually also Bridgewater IA now that I remember correctly.. went to superday there, too weird for me
I've gotten interviews and then networked from there. I'd say your hit rate will be like 5% to get interviews maybe worse.
GS MO
Ya BB IBD, got the offer too.
I've actually been really successful from Linkedin job postings. Granted, they are all internships as I am still in school, but I don't think a lot of people adequately take advantage of it.
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.
2 GS MO interviews WF Financial Analyst Program interview
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.
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.
yes, truly
+1
I got a few from just online drops last year, all MM firms though, I think anything better requires networking/OCR.
Societe Generale, BAML, Credit Agricole, Piper Jaffray and a handful of boutiques through online drops. Offers from PJC, CA, and boutiques.
surprising i've never heard back from anything i've applied for online
Yes. Too many to count.
Had a good amount of interviews for FO positions by just applying online
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.
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.
Got interviews with Piper in Minneapolis, Goldman in Chicago and LA, Baird in Milwaulkee, BNP Paribas in NYC, and Oppenheimer in NYC all with 0 networking.
Yes, S&T Fixed Income at a BB. London. Got offer (didn't take it).
Tudor Pickering and Gleacher (RIP) interviews from a non-target w/no networking
Gleacher still takes interns these days?
you really need to google 'RIP'
Barclays IBD and Citi MO interviews from non target, but high gpa and pretty good finance interships.
Internships gained through online applications? (Originally Posted: 07/28/2010)
Has anyone successfully received interviews, or earned a summer internship from a BB by applying online?
I am just under the impression that most of the online applications generally don't even get read. Am I correct in thinking this?
Incorrect. But, knowing someone significantly increases your chances.
I'm assuming you're talking of the US OP?
@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.
A friend of mine applied to Barcap IBD online... no connections, no campus recruiting, nothing. They called him and he had first and second round interviews.
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?
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.
Also, join tons of groups. You can choose to not display them on your profile if you don't want to look unprofessional, but being in groups allows you (usually) to message people in those groups, which is obviously your goal. I'm in finance groups, skiing groups, alumni groups, kiva.org groups, the WSO group of course, etc.
I got citi interviews through an online application. Ended up with a BB but went through the whole process with them from online.
This is interesting. I have never got a job/interview from networking, but solely from online application. That is however the European style.
Interview through online application? (Originally Posted: 12/12/2013)
Just wondering this, has anyone ever gotten an interview from simply uploading your resume through the online application on the company's website with no past interaction with the firm? Just curious
Yes, I know some non-target chick at GS who did it. She is a minority, Hispanic and a female, so that might of helped.
I just returned from final rounds (SA) at GS London, all from online application.
UK is a lot more likely for this to work than US
Some companies read every single resume that comes through via online. They are very few but COF does this for sure.
I did-- just take the couple minutes to fill it out, you never know.
I got my past two jobs from dropping my resume to a job posting on linkedin.
Yes
The chick I know at GS works in NYC. Just to clarify any confusion.
When I was interviewing last year, I was offered a first round with Deutsche for IB in NYC. I'm a white girl so not sure if that had anything to do with it. I had no contact with the bank besides the online resume drop.
I did too, one of them was for GS as well. Not even a minority or female.
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
GS is pretty good about giving interviews through simply online apps (in my experience). Can't say the same thing for many other places.
I got my phone interview (and eventually accepted offer) from an online app at a BB.
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).
This thread have me a much needed dose of morning inspiration. I think ill hit LinkedIn harder
Yes, I received 5 interviews in FO roles and I come from a non target. For the most part it's a black hole, I just got extremely luckily.
Got interviews at a number of BB banks for HK/Asia just by applying online, no networking/formal OCR. Not a diversity candidate either.
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.
Opposite to drewz123, I landed various BB interviews in NY and Chicago (OCR/networking) but only one HK BB through online apps.
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?
I always select do not disclose, but I'm really doubtful it helps that much, if at all.
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.
Applying Online- Success (Originally Posted: 11/26/2012)
Was wondering if anyone has experience applying straight up online, no employee referral or anything, and being contacted for interviews, and if so at which firms. I've now applied to a good number of places, some of which I have been referred by the majority of which I have not, and I am curious about how realistic it is that those online apps will turn into anything. Have heard in the past that basically if you apply straight up online you have no chance, though this seems to be a bit of an exaggeration. Thanks in advance.
JPM, MS online only
Unless you went to ivy and have a 4.0 you most likely have no chance. And that is not an exaggeration.
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.
Non target, MBB consulting. It happens, just very rare.
i applied online to a top 3 IB and got an interview for an analyst spot, I was already in the industry, but still.
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.
I applied online and got interviews at GS, MS, and Barcap last year. This year, I applied online and got interviews with McKinsey, and Oliver Wyman, so it's possible.
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.
I'm interviewing at four places this week alone (3 in person, 1 phone) as a result of applying online. This is for real estate finance, IBD's probably different but if your resume doesn't suck you will get callbacks
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.
For BB banks/MBB, it's very unlikely, but possible if you have an especially great resume/educational background.
What websites are you guys looking at? I'm not specifically looking for BBs but any asset management/equity research opportunities. So far using Doostang and Linkedin jobs. Any other ideas?
My post was in reference to applying online via a company's website under Careers or something which is what I think OP was referring to... not LinkedIn etc
Indeed.com
Online job posting (Originally Posted: 11/05/2006)
Just wondering, how useful is it applying through all the career/job portals of the i-banks? for someone with 2-3 years of experience. Do the i-banks even look at those online resumes?
do the online resumes go into a circular file? or done anyone look at them.
Job posting on Linkedin, should I apply for it another way? (Originally Posted: 09/18/2013)
I signed up for linkedin only to apply for a certain job. As a result, my profile is very blank other than past work experience and what I could try to fill in. I have no recommendations, no skill endorsements and have 0 connections. I don't think my profile puts me in a good light. This job is only posted on linkedin. Should I try to email HR my resume?
If you're just applying to it online then they probably won't check your profile. If you're connecting or emailing someone directly then that's a different story.
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