Why haven’t all those people you’ve contacted — people who know you’re looking for work — returned your calls? If you’ve been looking for work , you probably know what I’m talking about first-hand. It’s frustrating and it’s tempting to start wondering why they seem to be ignoring you.
There are lots of questions that go through your mind when you are in a job search. You may be wondering:
how well you interviewed,
why they didn’t offer to help you with a contact,
if you sent the wrong message when you finally reached someone by phone,
or is there something wrong with your resume?
The list can be as long as your imagination.
While guessing may make you less anxious as you wait, you could be mistaken and your guess may be far worse than reality. Job seekers guess when they try to fill in the blanks of future conversations.
Consider the job candidate who guessed he “blew the interview,” when the employer waited a couple of weeks to make a hiring decision. Here’s what really happened: The decision-maker took an unexpected week off, which contributed to the time it took to make a hiring decision. The employer was very interested in this person’s background and invited him back for a second interview.
Another person I know decided she had a “bad resume and age was an issue.” In fact, the resume was on-target for the employer’s needs and age didn’t seem to be an issue when she finally met with the business manager who ended up making an offer.
Guessing can be productive if you include the pros and cons of your actions to help make you a stronger job candidate. In some ways guessing also may serve as a way to gain a measure of control over the unknown.
The problem with guessing is guesses often are wrong and can make you doubt yourself, and playing the guessing game can keep you from following up on conversations and make you doubt yourself.
One way to avoid the guessing game is to take a quick assessment of the situation. Make a decision to take action:
follow up on your applications,
work your job-search plan,
get a second opinion on your resume,
and continue broadening your networking connections.
How do you think guessing helps your job search?
