Ella Kallish is a nationally syndicated columnist with 17 years experience marketing candidates directly to decision-makers inside business organizations throughout the United States. Her "Ask Ella" column now offers you personal, strategic and tactical advice on all your workplace questions. E-mail Your Question To Ella

Dear Ella,

Hope you can help me with this question: As I apply for jobs posted on the Web, many do not have company telephone numbers or a contact person. How would you suggest following up?

Dear How Do You Follow-up?

To follow up means you had to have started a process, so whom did you send your resume to? I'll assume you sent it to the hyperlink address listed at the end of the job description where it usually says "submit" on their Web site.

This link is a human resources address, not the address of the person to whom the position directly reports. The person to whom the position directly reports is the person we want to submit our resume to ASAP.

How do we do that? You ask! Call the general number at corporate headquarters, and ask the operator who the head of the department you would most likely report into is. If it's a vice president or higher you can usually get the name with ease, as they are prominently listed on most company's contact information. But if you would more likely report to a director, manager or below, ask the operator to transfer you to the specific department you seek and then ask the person who answers the phone there, for the name of the department heads.

Do go ahead and submit your resume electronically to the HR contacts hyperlink (can't hurt), but don't think that your work is completed once you've accomplished that small task. HR gets hundreds of resumes a week, and by the time they get to what you've got to say about yourself the position may already be filled. Don't leave your future up to a middleman; market direct, row your own canoe and all that.

Dear Ella,

Whenever I get a call from a recruiter, I send them my resume electronically from work. In retrospect, I'm wondering if this is such a good idea, as my employer may see the information I'm sending and receiving, but I don't have a computer at home.

Dear Don't Have A Computer At Home,

Get a private email address. Sending your resume from work electronically is similar to writing your resume on your corporate stationary and sending it out for review. Bad idea.

The action draws question to your good character as you are in fact using company time to do personal business that has, at it's possible end, damaging consequences to your present employer (you'd leave and they'd have to work to replace you). By leaving yourself open to ethical reprimand you jeopardize your job security and career.

Dear Ella,

I am a Director of Marketing at a major pharmaceutical firm here in the United States. Recently our human resources policy was changed to prohibit us (the business groups) from working directly with agents and recruiters to find staff. Instead, we must forward all resumes and inquiries from agencies to our new HR representative. HR will then make the initial decision regarding who gets interviewed and with which vendors/agencies our company will do business.

As many of my positions are strategic in nature and critical to the success of our business plan, and as business needs/landscapes continue to change more quickly, I need even faster access channels that can bring me together with qualified, experienced candidates quickly, not a bigger corporate bureaucracy. When I see a resume that fits my needs, I should have the option to facilitate the HR process. After all, isn't that why HR was created in the first place? To facilitate the hiring of qualified professionals so that we can get on with the business of doing business? How can I get the message out to HR to "lead follow or get out of the way?

Dear Don't Know How To Get The Message Heard,

You just did.

If you don't have P&L responsibilities for your group, find out where the dollars are being funded from in order to hire this new employee. Whoever is picking up the tab would have the most say over how one, and who, ultimately gets hired. Money makes the corporate world go round -- hope it's orbiting around you.

Dear Ella

My wife and I talk about moving to Indianapolis from the East Coast, but we are not sure we will be able to find jobs once we relocate. We both have family in Indianapolis but don't want to burden them by overstaying our welcome. What is the best way to know if a city has a strong job base or should be avoided altogether?

Dear Should We Stay Or Should We Go,

Second to government, manufacturing provides the biggest job base to a community. The next time you put together a wish list of where to live and work, make sure that you research the economic conditions specific to the state and the city months before you make any permanent decision to move.

A city may have a large manufacturing base, but it could be manufacturing products that are no longer in high demand. If that's the case, jobs may be scarce and competition for the jobs that remain could have a much tougher hiring standard than the rest of the nation (basic principals of supply and demand).

Subscribe to a city's local paper or access it regularly online to learn (overtime) more specific information about the town's goings and comings, real-estate values, political leanings, business development skills and private sector investment programs. When you move into a city you, move into it's good and it's bad habits.

Dear Ella,

My wife and I are separating soon, but I don't want prospective employers to know that I am in the process of divorce -- they may see this as an impediment to concentration on the job, and not hire me. I can't leave my old home number -- my wife won't give me the messages. Should I leave the number to the hotel I'm staying at? It's in my home town.

Dear What A Tangled Web We Weave,

Hmmmmmm. In this new technological age, business information first flows electronically, so list your e-mail address as your primary contact channel on your resume. You will need to provide a telephone number too, but that shouldn't be too difficult -- you must have a family member or a good friend in your home town that will allow you to use their telephone number and will take messages for you in the event that you are unavailable. No need to tell the callers that this is not your home number, as they are only interested in getting a hold of you -- not your life's story. You could also consider hiring a professional answering service.

All rights reserved by Ella Kallish.
Written by Ella Kallish.
For more information on Ella Kallish, go to www.ellakallish.com.
Ella Kallish is also available for corporate and group seminars.

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