In a job search, there are many gaps: from when you submit your resume to when you interview; from the first interview to subsequent interviews; from offer to close. Don’t lose momentum, and let your target employer forget about you. Use proper follow up to ensure that these gaps don’t interfere with your hiring chances.
In a job search, there are many gaps: from when you submit your resume to when you interview; from the first interview to subsequent interviews; from offer to close. Don’t lose momentum, and let your target employer forget about you. Use proper follow up to ensure that these gaps don’t interfere with your hiring chances.
Send a prompt thank you note. I know candidates who lose a subsequent interview by not sending a thank you note. While some recruiters don’t care about thank you notes, some recruiters care a lot. They see the lack of a thank you note as a professional misstep and thus a potential red flag. It’s so easy to send one, so just send one.
Send a well-written thank you note. Worse than no thank you note is a hasty and poorly written one. A note replete with typos and grammatical mistakes is bad. A note addressed to a misspelled name or a wrong title is also bad. Get business cards from everyone you meet to ensure that you have correct contact information. Proofread your thank you notes as you would your resume and cover letter.
Respond promptly to all requests. If the employer needs additional information (e.g., reference, writing sample), send these materials promptly. If the employer calls (e.g., to schedule an interview), call back within one business day. I know many candidates who let several days go by before responding. These candidates look disinterested, unresponsive and unprofessional.
Respond completely to all requests. When you mail, email or call, it is necessary to leave your full name, full contact information, and the reason why you are contacting. You cannot assume that the employer will remember who you are, how to reach you, or why you are contacting them. Even if you made the best impression on an employer, they are probably considering other candidates and certainly conducting business other than recruiting for your search.
Being professional in your follow through is just as important as being professional in your actual contact with potential employers. These small details are important yet often overlooked.
Is Your Job Search Flexible or Just Unfocused?
As a recruiter, I’ve seen lack of flexibility on the recruiting side with employers clinging to every last detail in their ideal spec while perfectly good candidates get overlooked. As a career coach, I see jobseekers prematurely dismissing possible targets waiting for that perfect job. It’s true that you want to be focused in your job search (otherwise you dilute your efforts and come across as scattered and possibly desperate).
5 Questions to Test If Your Resume Is Recruiter-Proof
After recruiting in search and in-house for over ten years, I have read thousands of resumes. Due to sheer volume of resumes received and all the other things that vie for the recruiter’s attention in the hiring process – scheduling, interviewing, networking, reference checks, client debriefs, and more – the resume review process is ruthlessly quick.
Why Conventional Wisdom On Work Flexibility Is Always Wrong
In a previous post, I wrote about why employment statistics are always wrong. In a similar way, conventional wisdom on work flexibility is always wrong. It is impossible to generalize something that is inherently case-by-individual case. Therefore, any boilerplate advice or conventional wisdom is bound to omit a key consideration, underweight or overemphasize other considerations, or take too long-term or short-term of a view.
