How is it any different than mailing resumes and filling out the apps in person?
You ain’t guaranteed squat then, either...................
All of the IT jobs that I have gotten since the beginning of my career came as a result of either:
1) A recruiter introducing me ( but then, I sent my resume to them and posted it on their website )
Or
2) Networking
Colleges who make you pay a fee just to submit an application should be forced to refund the fee if you are turned down. But guess what? Application fees have become a major source of money for them.
When I was a Boss and hiring IT people, I would get 400 resumes a day from Monster. You cannot process that. You resort to asking your team who they know.