Should I Keep Applying to the Same Company?

(MoneyWatch)  Dear Evil HR Lady,
I had an interview with a company a few weeks back. I have noticed that when a person does not get the job, the HR person will say, continue checking our website to see if there are any other positions that may interest you. Well my interview was with the department head and HR. I felt that I just did not fit in the company's culture. Should I continue applying? It is a great company.
There are two questions going on here. The first is, "Does a company mean they are still interested in me when HR tells me to keep checking the website?" and the second is, "Does company culture matter?" Both are worthy of an answer.

The first question is a big fat maybe. Generally that's today's version of "don't call us, we'll call you." When you apply through a website, your info is stored electronically and the recruiter doesn't even have to look at it if it doesn't meet the set criteria. Their system should send out an automatic e-mail saying it's received. So, in other words, it's pretty easy for them to ignore one more applicant.

But, sometimes they mean it. Sometimes you are not a fit for the first job, but you are someone with quality experience and they think you'd be good at a job that fit your skill set. So, in that case, you have nothing to lose by applying for jobs that you are qualified for and interested in. Knock off the applying for every job posted because you want to get into the company. That gets you placed in the unofficial crazy file and the official do not hire file.

As for your second question, company culture matters. A lot.

You would think that all widget factories operate the same way. If you're good at marketing widgets in factory A, you'll be good at marketing widgets in factory B. But, that simply isn't the case. Different companies have different cultures and what sets you apart as a great employee in one company can set you apart as a rebel and a performance problem in another.

Case in point: earlier this week I went to lunch with a former coworker. When we worked together the company culture was one of rewarding innovation. If you spotted a potential problem and pointed it out, that was a good thing. She now works for a company where the response to such behavior is a reprimand and a reminder to shut up and do your job. Technically, the job descriptions at the two companies would read very similarly, but the culture is absolutely different.

Of course, in a large company there is an over-arching culture and individual departmental cultures. If you felt you didn't like the company culture, it may be that you didn't like the departmental culture. Therefore, if they post another job that you would be a good fit for, I'd suggest applying again. If you get the the interview stage you can evaluate then if it's the entire company culture you didn't like or if this particular department is a good fit for you.

Don't be afraid to ask questions. Remember, it's not just about finding out if they like you, it's about finding out if you like them.

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