We have all had the feeling when applying for jobs online that our resume or application is headed for a black hole never to be seen by human eyes. Unfortunately, there is some reality to this. Large corporations have systems in place to analyze and categorize you before you even have a chance to make a first impression or talk to a person. However, there are some methods to utilize technology and old fashioned resourcefulness to break through the corporate steel gate and put the "human" back into human resources:

1. Get connected with corporate culture and current employees. Before you even apply, consider logging onto LinkedIn and following the company (or “liking” the company on Facebook). It simply takes a click of a button and you are plugging in. In the case of LinkedIn, when you follow a company you are shown corporate updates, job postings, and even who has recently joined or departed the company. Also, if you work in, say, IT you may be able to connect with some IT folks at the company to get your foot in the door.

2. Find an HR contact with whom to follow up. While companies, particularly large international corporations, do a great job of hiding personnel contact information on their websites, they cannot keep those contacts from having a presence on other websites. If you apply for a job and can’t find an HR person to email to call, again, check with LinkedIn. Do a keyword search for the company name followed by “recruiter” or “human resources”. You may find the name and email of a contact right there – or at least someone to start with. You can even search Facebook, Twitter, or do a Google search.

3. Know where to send a post-interview thank you note. Once you have an interview, be sure to thank the interviewer (may be a recruiter, hiring manager, or potential boss) in person and make a note of their name (particularly the spelling) so you can send a note of thanks. Confirm the address and suite number with the receptionist on the way out so you know your note is getting to the correct office and person. Note: A snail mail note is highly preferred over an email.

4. Don’t discard old contacts! Even if you didn’t receive a job offer with a company, stay in touch with the contacts you have made through online networking sites and groups. There may be an opportunity down the road and re-establishing these relationships will only get harder later on.

Though the web has been used to de-personalize the hiring process, there are some great ways to turn the tables and utilize it as a tool to connect with people and companies – and score interviews and job offers. Remember, in the business world resourcefulness counts!