|
Advice Sisters Great Relationships- HOME Get Personal, Private Online Advice Real Comments From Real People
Be Popular - Realize Your Dreams What Works" Beauty & Fashion Column
|
AdviceSisters Web Site: Everything you need for love, success & happiness is here!
How Should I Follow Up With Employers?
Q: I lost my last job in mid-December. I did as much networking and job hunting as I could, given the season. Right after New Years I searched and applied to job openings advertised on a number of online, job boards. When should I expect to hear back from employers? How and when should I follow-up with them? What kind of follow-up is required if an ad doesn't provide any specific contact information?
ALISON ANSWERS:
You get a gold star for working on your job search through the holidays. Job seekers who networked and sent resumes during the holidays will be the first to reap results this new year. Here are some tips to maximize your search and minimize frustration and burn-out:
TIMING: Even though you might have gotten a jump on the competition in December, other job seekers will now also be flooding the job market with resumes now that "party time" is over. Keep this in mind, so that you don't get frustrated if you don't get immediate results. Employers right now may be flooded with applicants. They can become overwhelmed with sheer volume. Also consider that some prospective employers who really want to get on with the process of hiring may still have to get through the backlog of mail and delayed project first. Assume that any resumes sent out prior to the holidays may still take a few weeks to a month before candidates are called for interviews. The inquiries you send out now may take a while longer.
SELECT THE RIGHT AUDIENCE: It's tempting to apply for lots of jobs simply because they are available, and you need a job, but I'd go for quality, not quantity. Don't waste your time applying for jobs you might not really want, or that call for a huge "stretch" of education, experience and skills you don't really have. Applying for anything and everything wastes your time, saps your energy, and frankly, annoys employers who don't appreciate being deluged with resumes from (clearly) non-qualified (anonymous) applicants. By all means stretch a bit if you wish, but for positions for which you are reasonably suited.
Online, where you post has a significant impact on the responses you'll get. If you post to an industry-specific board, for example, you're likely to have fewer jobs to consider, but more possible matches for your interests and skills. Large job boards have many more jobs, but they're also likely to attract larger numbers of job seekers and feature more positions you're not qualified for or interested in. Employers on these sites may be reviewing hundreds of responses before they get to yours.
Job boards aren't just for posting your resume. Many have good resources you may want to take advantage of, including networking and support services. There are also lots of other career-oriented sites (like ASK ALISON, for example) that can enhance your job search experience with information, ideas, and support.
GIVE THEM WHAT THEY WANT: Give the employer what s/he requests and don't be tempted to re-write the application requirements to suit what you think the ought to be! Address it as requested, by the method described in the ad or posting. If you're applying online by email, note whether the employer wants a resume as an attachment or in the body of the email letter, or both. Don't assume that if an employer requires a one-page resume in 10 point Courier, that they won't mind if you send your three page resume in 12 point Ariel instead--they will! Make sure any letters (and attachments) you send are typo-free and glitch-free, and properly downloadable in a variety of popular word processing programs.
TIP: Test your documents ahead of time by sending them to someone else's computer. If they don't open or format properly, it could be your text editor, or perhaps, the way you've formatted the document. I wouldn't suggest using anything smaller than 10 point type with a fixed font (E.g. "Courier"), and anything larger than 12 point type may be hard to read unless you have a really tiny resume with lots of white space! Some text characters don't translate well from one popular word processing program to another (e.g. you may have ot use stars instead of bullets). Be sure to keep the line length short so that whatever the recipient's default, your document will format properly, and allow enough white space and decent margins.
TIP: Don't name your resume file "resume." Use your name (e.g. "abdunhamresume) so when an employer goes to open it, s/he knows it's your resume, not just ust one of dozens called "myresume" sent by less-savvy job seekers.
Be sure to include a personalized cover letter (not a "dear employer" form letter) with every job application, unless there is only an online posting format with no room for additional comments and mention the job code and job title, and the place you saw the posting or ad. don't use weird fonts or word processing programs.
RESPECT THE ODDS: Responding to classified ads and online are good ways to increase your job hunting options, but you can't expect to get the same kind of interest that networking through personal contacts would bring you. Most employers would rather review half a dozen resumes from applicants recommended by someone they know, than a hundred resumes from people who are virtual strangers, even if their qualifications are great.
Be wary of postings or blind box ads that seem to be hiding too many facts. Some employers keep things vague because they really aren't offering a specific job, but are hoping to see what kind of response the marketplace would bring . While it's true that some employers with real jobs also purposely leave off information (to avoid being overwhelmed by job seekers hoping to follow-up), if there is absolutely no information about who the employer might be, what the job really is, or how to get in touch with them, how can you know if you even want to work there? If you apply for purposely vague listing, assume that your application is going to be used for market research , and you're not going to get a request for an interview, by responding.
FOLLOW UP APPROPRIATELY: Be optimistic and don't take silence personally. There are so many reasons why you might not hear back from an employer, and a lot of them have nothing to do with your skills. These are uncertain economic times where at any time a position may be put on hold, revised, or completely abandoned even though interviews have been conducted.
I would take the in-person approach to follow, if possible. If you can, call to ask if the employer got your resume and the status of the interview process. If you can't call, follow up in a week to ten days with a brief note. Email is ok if a name and contact email was included in the posting or ad. If you use an online form where there isn't any contact information, hopefully you at least know the company at which you applied, and perhaps, the department or job title. A little sleuthing( by phone) should help you identify the person who is handling the search. If you don't get a response, follow-up in a week to ten days with a print version of your resume and cover letter, sent by regular mail. Wait about a week and then call (or send a brief note) asking if your resume has been received. Don't forget to mention what job you've applied for, and when, along with a few lines about your skills.
If you still don't get a response, send another letter or email and be sure to include a copy of your resume with this one, too. Rstate what you've applied for, and when. Make it clear that after several attempts to contact the company, you're trying one last time (because you're really interested in the job but must no consider other offers).
If you don't get any response after all of this, it's safe to assume you're not going to get an interview, but at least you can be assured you did everything in your power to "make it happen." Next time, it will!
HAVE OTHER OPTIONS: By all means send your resume online to as many places as you like, but make sure that it's not your only method of job hunting, and don't expect any contact unless they want you. Try not to take lack of response, or silence, personally, and be tenacious and patient.
Alison Blackman Dunham, aka. "Advice Sister Alison, " is a life & career expert, online advisor, freelance writer, and creator of The Advice Sisters online publications. "The Advice Sisters®" are credited with bringing the advice genre, online. If you are seeking advice of any kind, this website is the right place! If you have a question, dilemma or problem that requires personal attention, consult Alison privately. Also check out The Advice Sisters Features Page with the latest additions to the site. Read the Advice Sisters Blog and enjoy the Bulletin Boards and Forums. For even more advice, inspiration and up-close-and-personal reviews, information and reports, get the free, bi-monthly AdviceSisters Enews by Email.