Seriously?!? The Job Referral Pony Show

I have been applying to a company of interest for some time. They continually update their website with new openings and my various job alerts all confirm to me that this company is hiring. I have been excited and frustrated by this for some time; excited because I want to work there and frustrated because I know no one there and they never ask me to interview.

This is a new day, however, and on this new day, it turns out one of my new MBA classmates is an employee of this company and is interested in referring me. Can you say “Sweet!”?

You think this would be simple, right? The company already has various cover letters and a copy of my resume. I input all of my information into their database. All they need to do is look me up and call me in. Unfortunately, this is a company, and it is part of a larger company, so they have systems and processes and red tape and stupid, nonsensical rules.

Since my resume and information were put into the system prior to my friend’s offer to recommend me, I cannot be referred. It is too late and database information cannot be edited.

The company, however, did offer an alternative to this rule. They said that if I change my email address on my resume and re-input my information into their database using this new email address, I can have my friend refer this new account.

My name is the same, my credentials are the same, and my experiences are the same. Yet, this new account with all of this repetitive information will be tracked independently from my original information.

How ridiculous is that? Granted, I will be creating a new email address as soon as I get a chance and will create a new profile in their database ASAP, but I feel like I am on a low-budget-comedy TV show…like the ones where people do stupid things and make gag jokes (usually involving animals) for the enjoyment of easily-amused, simple-minded folk (You know the kind. People who would laugh at videos like this one).

I hope my friend’s referral helps me get an interview. I then hope I don’t ruin the opportunity by mentioning how stupid of a process this all is.

And on another note, my friend told me that a large number of the company’s hires are done based on referrals, yet they post positions all over the internet. Why post if you are looking for referrals? And for that matter, why might my resume look great for a position if I am referred, but not even spark their interest without one?

Seriously?!?