No responses from IBM

Sir I have been awhaling for many a year. We only use whale dung for brushing our teeth.

I can't even tell if I applied or not. I am stuck in a circle. Log in, find job, put to cart, apply to cart, install resume, find job, put in cart, apply again and it takes me to resume again!

Dick Reynolds said: I have over 20 years experience in selling IT lifecycle services to fortune 500 companies. I've applied SEVERAL times to IBM with no response. A friend of mine told me they hire people they know or are "friends" with. This will be the LAST time I apply at IBM....their loss. Dick Reynolds

I can't attest that the "friends" connection isn't true. I worked in IBM Global Services for a number of years until laid-off after dotcom bubble burst... I've called a number of Executive PMs and my old Principal.. it's out of their hands. They even gave me specific job post numbers to submit to.. still no response. I've spammed IBM's job site as much as they spam job boards and all I've ever heard is the sucking noise of the resume black-hole vortex. And the irony is.. that when I talk to folks I used to work with, they've got open position on their projects and in need of help... go figure???? It didn't used to be that way. Maybe it's part of the "synergies" of acquiring PWC?

By and large, I've found sending resumes to job postings to be mostly useless... having my resume visible on job boards is where I've received responses.

Try BEA.

can't blame the recruiters, blame the IBM game.

Is you have IS-Media (SMD) Skills let me know, we have a 6 month opp.

Syed Rizvi said: I had previously worked for IBM and left them in 2000 and applied to the recent job positings. I got a response from their recruitment staff indicating that "after their conversation with me" they did not think I was a good fit. I am not sure who she talked to but it was not me. That speaks volumes about them.

as an interviewer (i am a consultant -- some of us interview potential hires for our own depts.) -- i have seen recruiters mess up: send me the wrong resume, the wrong name, the wrong contact info -- and general dropping of the ball --- most of these recruiters are contractors -- and when enough complaints by us are received by HR -- the recruiter is replaced

point is -- if you think a recruiter screwed up -- for example a "after our conversation note" -- and you did not have a conversation -- send a follwup note explaining the misunderstanding

if you want the job and you think your a good fit -- be persistent till you get an interview

unemployedGeek said:
so why accept resumes and advertise when you have no intention of ever hiring the people who respond to you? Isn't that fraudulent?
Why pass up so much talent?

we really do receive resumes submitted via the web site -- but you gota get past those screening the resumes w/ a key-word mentality --

(if your qualified for real, you probably know what the key words are for a given position, though you may not have initially thought to write the resume in this style -- rewrite, resubmit )

IBMer said:
as an interviewer (i am a consultant -- some of us interview potential hires for our own depts.) -- i have seen recruiters mess up: send me the wrong resume, the wrong name, the wrong contact info -- and general dropping of the ball --- most of these recruiters are contractors -- and when enough complaints by us are received by HR -- the recruiter is replaced
point is -- if you think a recruiter screwed up -- for example a "after our conversation note" -- and you did not have a conversation -- send a follwup note explaining the misunderstanding
if you want the job and you think your a good fit -- be persistent till you get an interview

I couldn't even apply to a position that was posted. They use that software that I had entered a resume, found the position, put it in the cart, applied to what was in cart and it took me right back into submitting a resume. It was a constant circle that got me no results.

NDA said:
I can't attest that the "friends" connection isn't true. I worked in IBM Global Services for a number of years until laid-off after dotcom bubble burst... I've called a number of Executive PMs and my old Principal.. it's out of their hands. They even gave me specific job post numbers to submit to.. still no response. I've spammed IBM's job site as much as they spam job boards and all I've ever heard is the sucking noise of the resume black-hole vortex. And the irony is.. that when I talk to folks I used to work with, they've got open position on their projects and in need of help... go figure???? It didn't used to be that way. Maybe it's part of the "synergies" of acquiring PWC?
By and large, I've found sending resumes to job postings to be mostly useless... having my resume visible on job boards is where I've received responses.

The only responses I have received from having my resume visible on the job boards is offers to sell life insurance, and get-rich-quick home businesses.

There is no "HR" department. I was interviewed by non-HR professionals. Four months of hit or miss. When I finally did not hear after another two months, I emailed my "contacts". Their response, "Oh, we are so sorry, didn't anyone get back to you? We've moved in a different direction." BTW, that is the latest HR lame phrase - "moved in a different direction". Not only was I the most qualified person for this mid-level position, but I passed every written test they had me take. Now we know why IBM gave up its hardware and software business to go into the consulting B.S. business. It amazes me how these companies grow to billions of dollars in sales with such incompetance. Brings new meaning to: "There's a sucker born every minute (now second)."

I keep getting these emails about technical writing jobs. But there seems to be no place to apply except on-line. And I already did about 6 months ago. Then there are the recruiters based in Bangalore...

It seems just a waste of time. I don't want to fall into the resume black hole.

If IBM is serious give me a real person to apply to.

Well, my experience is different I've submitted my resume online just last week and the very next day I got an e-mail from IBM recruiter. they could not pursue further due to some non compete clauses with my current company..

I'm noticing that many of you criticize the company as a whole based on your lack of a response from a recruiter. Here's what I believe happens. Like MOST companies, we offer new positions to internal sources first. We, like MOST companies, prefer to grow our own talent and promote from within*. I think that in some (most?) cases, external recruiters are obtaining these job postings and posting them for themselves. That's the only explanation I can come up with for the cornucopia of job postings out there for IBM.

Now, at a more critical level, I'm noticing that more than half of you have significant typos in your posts here. Many of you, as well, seem to have very immature attitudes and jump to irrational conclusions about a company and post grammatically incorrect mistake ridden posts here about how you should run, not walk, away from IBM.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that IBM is probably not the only company not giving you much love in the Job Seeking arena.

* Although admittedly it's often a promotion in title only. Few things trigger pay increases here, but that's a sign of the times in IT Servers, not unique to IBM

This just isn't true. IBM hires many engineers because they are cheaper. Spelling has little to do with it. Qualified Americans are still being ditched. It's not promotion from within- it's hiring H1Bs.

They call these "CYA" postings or "phantom postings".
They have to post them but they already identified an internal candidate.

Um...pretty much all states are that way. I don't know of any that aren't. You don't like it, save your money and move.

Don't bother applying to IBM, these are all ficticious postings to make it look like they are going places. I had an insider even try to help and this person was baffled why it went nowhere. This person commented to me that it isn't really suprising because of the way things haphazardly get done at IBM.

A little late on the response here, but as someone who has been involved on the HR side at IBM and other large corporations, I find all of these responses amusing.

“I know I am a fit”; “I expect a response” – listen to yourselves?!? We seem to have a bunch of SMEs in HR and recruiting on this thread, yet none of you are in HR or recruiting. Do you honestly believe that someone is going to call every single applicant that applies to IBM? That is a larger number than you all can possibly realize. This is not unique to IBM, but most Fortune 500s.

No, their HR is not outsourced to India. No, all these postings are not for H1Bs. No, third-party firms are not engaged due to volumes. Contract-houses like CDI and others have nothing to do with the hiring process at IBM. Folks, the facts are real simple. If you are qualified for the opportunity you are applying to and they have not already identified another applicant (individuals who have applied prior to you) – then someone is going to contact you. Knowing the internal process at IBM, they DO review those applicants who are basically qualified for the roles they are applying to.

If telling yourself all these excuses justifies your not being selected/contacted, then continue. There are a couple of decent suggestions in here – LinkedIn (and other network sites), networking. Despite all this technology that we utilize, knowing key people still is the best way to promote your candidacy.

Not trying to be rude – just real.

Doesn't sound like a company I'd want to work for.

SFGal in San Francisco, California said: Get a grip people....the name of the game is networking. Don't expect to get a job by submitting your resume to a company this size. It's who you know and if you don't know someone get to know someone.

Try LinkedIn -- it's a great networking resource.

Nepotism is why things are so screwed up. You are saying that if you know someone then you get a job. That is
just what is happening in the great corporate world...Get a grip....

I applied, was responded to immediately. Phone screen. Then they flew me down to MD for face to face meetings. Everything was going fine up till then....

Cab ride from BWI to Gaithersburg - $200 cash.
Greeted at lobby and escorted to conference room.
Three hours of meetings.
Water, food, bathroom? Nah.
Walked back to the lobby for a cab to BWI - $200 cash.
Never heard from them again.

They say they want to be a creative shop - they showed me absolutely no work. They were not even willing to talk about what types of clients and projects they had.

When I pressed them about downtime, I was informed one would be shipped off to another center. Apparently this does not count as travel time...

Still waiting on my expense check....

If you are young, single, have no life, and want to get a consulting gig with a fancy business card - then this is for you!

If you have been consulting for a while, know your stuff, have a desire to have a stable life - then you might not be too eager for this.

Ted in Littleton, Colorado said: Nepotism is why things are so screwed up. You are saying that if you know someone then you get a job. That is
just what is happening in the great corporate world...Get a grip....

Hahaha, yep!

My experience with trying to make network connections with strangers is next to none.

This may be a bad analogy but it is like trying to get in the Mafia. Strangers are not quick to trust an unknown stranger.

Networking seems to work best for "family and friends".