Dear Career Rescue:
I feel as though my job has taken forever, especially with the response I get when applying for jobs. I have great conversations over the phone with recruiters and employers but they never get back to me. What could I being doing wrong?
CR:
It sounds like you are experiencing the roller-coaster ride of emotions associated with a job search. Sometimes the most difficult aspect of a job search has nothing to do with the mechanics of the process but rather the emotional aspects.
When there is a lack of communication it leaves room for you to second guess the next steps in your future and self-doubt can creep in to rein havoc on your confidence level.
Do they think I am over-qualified? Why the delay in calling me back? Is something wrong with my resume? All those can be questions tied to predicting what will happen next in your search. It’s human nature to personalize the lack of responses and try and figure out why employers aren’t calling you back.
There are always two perspectives during a job search; one from a job candidate’s point of view and one from the employers. To the candidate, time often becomes distorted, uneven and slow. From your perspective an hour means an hour and when you don’t hear back from an employer it can feel as though you have no control.
From an employer’s point of view, time is planned but can change in a moment’s notice with a flurry of activity. To an employer, getting back to you “as soon as possible” might mean seven hours from now or seven days.
In reality, there are some things you can control during your search and one of them is managing your expectations and understanding the process. Do your best to avoid connecting your value as a skilled professional to the lack of communication. Employers have numerous reasons for not responding as you would hope and not all of them are negative rather unplanned delays.
You can increase your chances of a job offer by actively following up with leads and interviews. The person that lands the job does not always have the strongest skills but set themselves apart from others by following up with the employer.
Following up with the next steps actually starts with the first interview, in your case it would be a phone interview. Before you leave the discussion always ask about the next steps and for the job.
There are a number of ways to convey your interest and inquire about the next steps. Before the interview is over, summarize your qualifications and then say, “After talking with you, I am confident this position is a good match. Is there anything I haven’t covered?”
Another way to reinforce your strong interest is to ask for the job. “I am eager to make contributions and this position is a good fit for my background and your needs. I would like to work with you and your team. What are the next steps in making a decision?”
To help speed up the hiring process, when you are applying for positions take the time to research who the position reports to and through your contacts find a personal connection within the company whereby you can talk with someone instead of going into a pool of candidates.
Internal referrals give you instant credibility and employers take them seriously, if two candidates are in a dead heat for a position, the one that comes with a known factor is more likely to be offered the job.
Sending a letter or email to the hiring decision-makers is another way of staying in touch.
Overall, a job search takes time and, even though time may seem like it stands still, you are making progress.
Instead of spending the energy second guessing, stay persistent, follow up and continue to build relationships and more than likely an opportunity will emerge.
