“I applied for a job at a company and actually had a friend who knew the department head bring my application to their attention. They said they were already “at the finish line” with another candidate but thought my resume was “impressive” and would keep it on hand. Now I have found another job opening in the same company I’m interested in. Do I change my resume or just change the cover letter and apply again online, or just reach out to my friend again to reengage her contact that I am interested in another job there? Thank you.” ~ Kelsey
Dear Kelsey,
Congratulations on your “impressive” resume! That is great feedback.
It is quite possible that the candidate they were already at the finish line with could have been an internal hire or further along in the hiring process before your resume was presented. Given that you found another job at the company you would be interested in, I would first go back to your friend to reengage her contact. Share the information you received with them and ask their advice on next steps.
In other words, if your first resume was impressive and already on file, perhaps they would not recommend resubmitting a different resume, but may ask you to apply to that role online to put you back in the system.
Either way, adjusting your cover letter could be beneficial because it gives you a chance to explain that you are so excited about yet another opportunity to work at this company and that you are applying again for a different role. You could even include a line or two about how your skills and strengths align even better with this new role.
Best of luck!
