Many ways to "side-step" the bureaucracy and HR weasels. Much of it depends on your imagination, creativity, drive, tenacity, personality, panache.
A couple of tips from many years working hard to stay employed:
(1) online resume submission is very risky. I had my resume garbled by the online system and never knew it. Luckily, the principals knew how to contact me and asked to submit again.
(2) During my unemployed/freelance period I was interviewing constantly. One interview went well, was told by the manager I was over-qualified but he was intrigued by my background and would call me back. Dream job. Never did call back, and deep depression ensued. Much later I said "what the heck?" and called him back. The reason he never called back was because he himself was laid off shortly after our interview. Called back into the automated attendant/voice mail system and kept dialing through the directory until I got a live person. Made my pitch, was passed to another, repeated etc., five times. The fifth time I was talking to the president of the company, who passed me to the engineering manager. I was invited to come in immediately. Tenacity pays off.
(3) I never submit resumes via email if I can find a person's name and a physical address. I use a lot of methods to do this. The reason: your email can be deleted in a click, but a piece of paper sitting on a desk must be handled. One of the best jobs I ever had resulted in researching a company and PINGing my contacts for info on the company. I was told to call "Joe." So I called "Joe" and ask about employment. I later discovered "Joe" was Division Manager. Described my education, skills, background, and asked if the company might have any XYZ positions coming up soon. I was invited in immediately.
Network, network, network. Attend professional society meetings, etc. Get out there, circulate, meet people. You get hired mainly on your personality, not your resume.
Targeted volunteering works. A friend volunteered at United Way doing their IT work for them. He met dozens of future managers who were stuck with the unholy task of running their companies' United Way campaigns. But they remembered my friend and how good he was when their time for leadership arrived.
Getting around the HR Weasels and other Gatekeepers can be done with enough forethought, creativity, and tenacity.
