亲爱的安妮：几年前，我曾经申请过一个职位，那是一家我一直梦想进入的公司。后来由于该公司冻结招聘计划，事情不了了之。现在，我从小道消息得知，当初我应聘的这个部门（品牌管理）已经重启招聘。我想再试一试。我的问题是，当初他们说过会把我的信息存档，我是该假定他们早已有了我的简历等信息，还是一切从头再来？我知道现在很多人都在找工作，如何在竞争中占据优势，希望能听听您的建议，不胜感激。——附加一击

亲爱的“附加一击”：首先，不要想当然。“如果你是两三年前申请的，很难保证当初你联系的那位招聘经理或人力资源专员还在这家公司，”纽约职业顾问、《华尔街人士生存指南》（The Wall Street Professional's Survival Guide）一书的作者罗伊•科恩表示。“很多公司过去几年的人员变动都很大。因此，即便上次你已经进入了面试环节，这次可能也要从头来过。”

    科恩表示，最近他有几位客户以前遭到过拒绝，但最终却在第二次、甚至第三次应聘中获得了录用。“永远要记得，应聘未成往往只是个数字问题，”他说。“如果有3个、4个或6个应聘者同时竞争1个职位，面试人员就必须选出最令人印象深刻的那一位。”

    而且，即便第二次应聘再遭拒，也不见得就不能试第三次了。与应聘过程中认识的人保持联系，首先邀请他们加入你在商务社交网站LinkedIn上的圈子，这可以加大未来获聘的概率。科恩还说：“可能后来他们会发现录用的人不行，可能另外会新出现一个空缺，总之保持联系很重要。人们总是更倾向于聘用他们早已熟悉的人，而不是撞大运似地找一个他们一无所知的人。”

    波士顿高管培训公司ClearRock的董事总经理安妮•史蒂芬斯也见过很多求职者在第二次或第三次应聘时终获录用的情况。她给出了四点建议：

1. 强调自己的成长。如果你又遇到了上回的面试官，这一点尤其重要。史蒂芬斯说：“在求职信、简历、电话和实地面试中，要突出上次应聘以来你新获得的经验和技能。”一定要反映你新学的课程或获得的资格证书。

2. 逆向拓展人脉。通过社交媒体以及个人在业内的人脉关系（比如过去工作中认识的人），“找出在你目前应聘公司工作的员工，或认识这家公司某位员工的人。”史蒂芬斯建议。“逆向人脉拓展不同于通过传统的人脉关系，它不是要帮你找到合适的工作，而是从具体工作的职位出发，通过人脉拓展，找到能帮你成功拿到这份工作的人。”比如，内部人士可以告诉你，在面试中你应该强调哪部分经验。他们甚至能当你的推荐人。

Dear Annie: A couple of years ago, I applied for a job at a company where I've always wanted to work. At the time, they had a hiring freeze in effect, so I got nowhere. But now I hear through the grapevine that they've started adding staff in the area where I would be working (brand management). So I'm thinking about trying again. My question is, since they told me they would keep my information on file, should I assume they already have my resume, etc., or start over from scratch? I'm sure lots of people apply for jobs there all the time, so I'd appreciate any suggestions on how to move to the front of the line. — Mulligan

Dear Mulligan: First, assume nothing. "If you applied two or three years ago, there is no guarantee that the same hiring managers or human resources people you contacted before are still there," notes Roy Cohen, a New York City career coach and author of The Wall Street Professional's Survival Guide. "Many companies have experienced so much turnover in the past few years that there is not much institutional memory anymore. So even if you got to the interview stage the last time around, you may now be having a completely new conversation."

    Cohen says that several of his clients have recently succeeded at second or even third attempts to get hired by employers who had turned them down before. "Always keep in mind that not being chosen for a particular job opening is often just a matter of numbers," he says. "If there are three or four or six candidates and only one job, interviewers have to cull out even candidates they find really impressive."

    Moreover, even if the right fit still isn't there on your second try, don't rule out a third. By staying in touch with people you meet during the application process -- starting with inviting them to join your network on LinkedIn (LNKD) -- you can boost your chances of getting hired later, Cohen adds: "The person they do hire may not work out, or a different opening may come along, so stay on their radar screen. People would usually much rather hire someone they're already familiar with than take a chance on an unknown quantity."

    Annie Stevens, managing partner at Boston-based executive coaching firm ClearRock, has also seen plenty of job seekers lately who have gotten hired on their second or third approach to a company. She offers these four suggestions:

1. Emphasize what's different about you now. This is especially important if you end up meeting with the same interviewers you met last time. "In your cover letter, on your resume, and during phone and in-person interviews, highlight specific new experience and skills you've gained since then," Stevens says. Be sure and include any courses you've taken or credentials you've earned.

2. Network in reverse. Use social media, and any industry contacts you have (from your previous jobs, for instance) to "seek out people who work for your target employer, or who know someone who does," Stevens advises. "Instead of leading you to the right job, as traditional networking does, reverse networking starts with the job and leads you to people who can help you get it." Insiders can tell you, for example, what aspects of your experience you should stress in an interview. They may even give you a referral.