Blog Post: No News is Good News does not apply in a job search!

Over the years of working with hundreds of job seekers I have noticed that the fear of following-up with a hiring manager, recruiter or HR manager is a barrier to closing the deal.  As a job seeker you have every right to know the status of the job and where you are in the process.  It may seem as though you may be bothering these people and that you are worried you will become a nuisance and be crossed off the list of potential candidates. 

When it comes to post interview follow-up you have three choices Passive, Persistent, a Pain in The Neck.

If you are Passive and are waiting for the return call after the agreed upon time, you are not in control of your search. You may be waiting for a call that will never happen.  It is always your responsibility to find out and know the status of your job prospects. 

Although it is not very good business manners, some hiring managers, recruiters and HR managers do not call in the time-period stated at the interview.  You must help these professionals!

With this in mind be Persistent and take control of your search. Make sure you make the phone call the day of or the day after the agreed upon time if you have not been contacted.  This is why it is important that at the end of every interview/meeting, (this includes phone calls) that you know  the next steps and who will be contacting you, name, phone number and email address.  When you send your thank you email and letter recap the meeting especially the next steps portion.  It is like any other business meeting, if commitments are made they need to be documented so everyone knows their responsibilities.  This is professional behavior; nothing would ever be accomplished if commitments were not kept.

The time has come and passed, now what?  You make the call.  If you get voicemail or a gatekeeper leave a very clear message as to who you are, the reason you are calling, how you can be reached and end it with your name and phone number.  On voicemail, state your name and phone number at the end of the call twice.  Make sure you also tell them that you will follow-up “tomorrow” if you haven’t heard from them by the day’s end.  You need to be Persistent at this time, leave your message and follow-up with a phone call as stated in your voicemail or message.  Call three days in a row, then send an email asking for a status of the position and mention you have made a few attempts to reach them by phone.  Include the standard “I appreciate how hectic your schedule is”... If after one week and still no response send a letter, USP, requesting a status on the position. 

Making a follow-up call before the agreed time is being a Pain in The Neck.  This is not professional, shows that you are anxious and will definitely move you to the bottom of the list.  This rule may not apply to those positions that require “strong initiative”, “go getter”, “won’t take no for an answer”, but most of the time you should wait for the phone call within the agreed to time period.  Calling twice a day for more than a week is becoming a Pain in The Neck and will not result in a job. 

This is about all you can do at this time; you have to make a decision on whether or not to continue to pursue this job.  If you decide you want to continue to follow-up, make contact once a week phone call or email is sufficient. 

General rules of thumb:

If you are following-up based on agreements and commitments you are not bothering anyone. 

Not knowing the status of a job is worse than knowing yes or no.  A “yes” would be great; knowing it is a “no” will at least help you to move on. 

Do not let the fear of rejection keep you from following-up; this is one time that "no news "is just that, "no news" and makes it difficult to make decisions on your search. 

“No news is good news” does not apply in a job search.

Please respond to this blog or get more information on job search techniques at www.mycareerstartshere.com.

Thanks

Russ Haines, CPRW