The Job Hunt: How to get called back for another job interview
Filed under: Career, Recession
For the 10.3 million unemployed people in the United States who are looking for a job, one of the most frustrating aspects of a job hunt is waiting for the phone to ring. Especially after an interview. And especially after an employer says "We'll call you soon."
I know. I've been doing it for six months, and have reluctantly been keeping the national unemployment rate at 6.7%, according to the latest figures from November from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. And although I don't have a full-time job yet, I do have some ideas on how to get that callback and can explain some of the frustration job seekers are experiencing.
The first thing to remember is that looking for a job, and awaiting word on whether you're successful or not, is like dating. Beyond waiting for the phone to ring, the interview, or date, plays in your head over and over again as you over-analyze it and try to come up with better ways to present yourself if you get a second chance.
To combat this problem, deal with it early, at the first interview. End the interview by trying to assess how you did, what the competition is, if there are any red flags that prevent them from hiring you, and when you can expect to be called back for a second interview. At the least, I always ask what the employer's timeline is for hiring and when they expect to make a decision, and even better, when I should expect them to contact me.
A difficult part of this is that everyone has their own timetable, and no matter what they tell you, things will change or they could decide not to call you after telling you they will. I recently had a job interview and was told I would be called back within a week, and more than two weeks later I'm still waiting. My hope is that they got especially busy during the holiday break, and not that they went with someone else.
I'm not averse to calling the employer and seeing what's going on, but I don't want to seem like a pest. I usually give it a week or so until I call. But too often employers won't return the call, leaving me to believe they have hired someone else. The optimist in me wants to think they're busy. But like the date's excuse that she has to wash her hair on Saturday night, it's easy to miss the signs that you're not wanted.
A rule of thumb on calling employers back that I think sounds fair, and which was suggested to me on my blog about my job search, is to wait a week to 10 days for corporate jobs, five to seven days for a small business, and who knows how long for state and federal jobs. I've quickly learned that government job applications can take months.
Another tip is to call someone inside the company who you know to see if they could approach the hiring manager to see how you fare. If you don't know anyone inside the company, then just call the person you interviewed with, or their secretary, who are often sympathetic and will try to help. I've reached hiring managers who have basically told me not to call them again, that they'd call when and if they're interested, to others who have had kind words of encouragement while telling me that someone more qualified will be hired.
Making that call back, instead of waiting for them to call you, is one of the most difficult things to do in a job search. Try to think of it from the employer's standpoint, that they'd like to see the initiative in someone they're hiring, and make the call. In this economy, being bold and standing out from the crowd can be the deciding factor.
Aaron Crowe is an unemployed journalist in the San Francisco Bay Area. Read about his job search at www.talesofanunemployeddad.blogspot.com
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
12-30-2008 @ 4:52PM
unemployed dad said...
You've had hiring managers tell you "they'd call when and if they're interested"? How rude! Who taught these people how to interview and hire? What happened to maintaining a candidate's self esteem throughout the process? Not returning phone calls because "they are too busy"? How cowardly.
Note to hiring managers, this expression will set you and the candidate free: "We're moving forward with other candidates at this time". Write it down and rehumanize the interview process for yourself and unsuccessful candidates who still vote in the court of public opinion on the quality of your firm.
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12-30-2008 @ 11:55PM
Nancy Dickerson said...
Today I checked the online status of an application I had put in with the city and saw the word "unqualified." Talk about a bummer! Well, I was not about to let that go so I called the employment manager. Besides discovering that I had misspelled my name on the application (rolling eyes and remembering how many thousands of times I have told students to proofread work), I discovered that the job application should have stopped me immediately after I had checked the "not currently employed by city" box. They were only hiring from within. Well, yes, THAT made me feel somewhat better. I guess. Still, in the conversation with the employment manager I got a front row seat understanding of what kind of applicants she had lined up in front of her (figuratively). Compared to some of them, I had NO experience. That huge unemployment figure you quote contains a very large group of especially talented people. YOU should know. Still don't feel very good about not having a job, huh. Deep sigh....Hang in there.
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1-01-2009 @ 4:50PM
Michael Levy said...
As the owner of a Career Consulting company, I often tell my clients that unemployment is a "humbling" experience. You realize what it's like in the other guys moccasins. How many actually remember once they get hired their next job...unknown. It's sort of like all the people that start their "relationship building" e.g., Networking when unemployed, when they get their next position, they drop everyone and don't extend the courtesy of a thank you note or phone call to thank those that helped them along the way. So, be smart, after the humbling experience, learn from it --- I can almost guarantee, you will find yourself in a similiar situation again, nothing is forever anymore. As for the "job waiting" game, another one of my isms...The World and Businesses Do Not Work at Speed of Our Expectations. Best Wishes in 2009.
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1-01-2009 @ 10:31PM
Matt L said...
In all things communication related, "Omit needless words!"
I did not gain anything from your article Mr.Crowe,sorry.
I've also been unemployed for 6 months, and I've found the simple statement "I'm here to work, what do you want me to do?"
has hired more people than the most elaborate resume or most timely call back.
I don't blame myself or the prospective employer for not having paid work. Like many things wrong in this world, the entire job process needs revision.
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1-17-2009 @ 12:51PM
Sheba said...
December 10th will be a day that I will always remember for the rest of my life. I was laid off from my job in a private office with three upper level bosses sitting there looking at me. My layoff was a direct result of the ecomony so they downsized. I haven't been without a job since I was 17 years old. I was so humilitated and it was the absolute hardest thing to tell my family that morning. I thought that they would be disappointed in me. I was in great denial for about 3 weeks and hoped that they would call me back. I'm only kidding myself - they are not gonna call me back. I started putting in applications. I have had three interviews. Two of them promised a call back for a second interview this week. I have not heard from anyone. I know that there are a lot of people looking for jobs in this economy. My hope is fading and it is quite emotional for me to hide my feelings of despair from my family. Can anyone relate to what I am feeling?
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