Applying for Multiple Positions within same Company

[wealthviahealth]

What is the general consensus on applying for multiple positions within the same company?
I would like to apply for several related jobs within a company that all seems like a good fit.

Is this in any way discouraged for the reason that it might make one look desperate or less interested in one job in particular?
The companies I am applying are all huge if that makes a difference.

[curler]

If the company is huge, I wouldn't worry about it too much, as long as it doesn't look like it is the same job at multiple levels that you are applying for (Jr. Designer and Designer, or something like that).    See also some advice at http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2008/11/03/how-to-apply-for-multiple-jobs-at-one-company

[Mother Fussbudget]

Apply to the highest level job you feel you have competence for.  If there's a "senior" position, and you're a senior person, apply to that one instead of the "regular" job.  A level "3" over a level "2", etc.  Even in large companies most managers are only hiring for a few positions.  In my experience, if I'm filling a people-manager role, AND a line-level role, I'll consider a good resume sent for the 'lead' position to fill the line-level position, but not the other way around.   Realize the lower level position will probably be paid less.  If a candidate submits the same resume for 2 positions, and one pays less... you mark your value accordingly.  It's easy to ask someone "would you work for the salary for the line position?"  Apply for the higher position, and mention in the cover letter something like:  "from the jobs I saw on the website, this seemed like the best fit, but I'm open to similar available roles/positions".

[nobody123]

Call up the HR folks and have them explain the two or three positions you're most interested in, and ask them how to be considered for the one or two you find most appealing.  Submitting multiple resumes that will ultimately end up in the same pile in HR for tracking / initial phone screens will be a waste of postage at best or annoying to HR at worst.

[curler]

Call up the HR folks...

Please do not call them.  Calling is the fastest way to annoy people doing hiring.

[nobody123]

Call up the HR folks...

Please do not call them.  Calling is the fastest way to annoy people doing hiring.

I said call HR, not the people doing the hiring.

[Crestlin012]

My HR friends say applying for 2-3 positions may be okay. But if the positions are related, the resumes will likely end up on the same persons desk. That irritates the HR staff and makes you look desperate.

[ysette9]

In my big company's hiring system I can look through and see what positions you applied for going back in time. Applying for a few positions that are related seems totally fine to me. Applying to everything under the sun from a level 1 individual contributor to a level 5 management position makes you look desperate and annoys me. I would guess that most big companies don't allow outside applicants to contact anyone by phone, certainly not the hiring manager.