Minto Roy - Career - Recruitment Blog

Some of the toughest days jobseekers have are, contrary to what you might expect, not those days when there are no postings to apply for but rather those first few days after you have applied and you have not heard back. No email, no phone call. Just deafening silence from the outside world and overwhelming uncertainty – even panic – inside your head.

You want to know that they got the resume. You want to be sure that it reached the right person. You want some sense of when they’ll make a decision. You want them to shortlist you for interview, pick you for the job, make you an offer you can’t refuse and live happily ever after without ever having to look for work again for the rest of your life!

Okay, so you’re laughing. That’s good. It means you’ve relaxed a little. Now look back over that post-resume submission meltdown with a little distance. You’ll see it’s all about you and your wants. Your meltdown completely violates the number one rule of job searching: It’s all about the employer.

Once you have submitted an application, you need to know it got there, yes. Send hard copies by courier or registered mail with signature required; fax using a machine which prints a proof of transmission; and check your email for bounce-backs. Once you’ve done that, your need to know is over and your concern is really only a reflection of want. It’s perfectly natural to be anxious or curious, and to want to have those feelings resolved – it’s just not okay to ACT ON that want.

You must resist the impulse to phone even once, let alone repeatedly, saying, “Did you get my application? Have you made a decision yet?” But that doesn’t mean you can’t follow up. Roughly two business days after the closing date or five business days after your resume submission where no closing date is listed, you can call or email to “renew your interest” in the position and offer to provide references.

You can perhaps also, as an alternative or as a second follow-up a few days later, send a note pertaining to your availability for interview, along the lines of, “I appreciate that hiring is a challenging and time-consuming task and, mindful of your demanding schedule, I just wanted to take a moment to let you know I will be away from my phone and email at a workshop (or family function or retreat or out-of-town interview) on the 17th and 18th but will be checking my messages each evening. I will be available for interview after the 19th, including times outside business hours if that would be more convenient for you. The more I learn about XYZ company – particularly recent coverage in the Globe of your service innovations on the 123 account – the more interested I am in joining your team. I see a solid fit between your expansion into SME markets and my experience as quality assurance coordinator for mid-size accounts. I look forward to meeting you in the near future.” The tone is confident, diligent and keeps the employer’s interests in focus amid its self promotion. There is not a frightened, needy or desperate-for-work note to be found.

Yes, after you have applied you want to know when they will call. But what you need is to be sufficiently impressive, composed and attractive and they actually will make that call.

Hang in there – at the end of this long and bumpy road, your new career awaits.

Minto Roy
President
CareersToday Canada
www.careerstodaycanada.com
www.mintoroy.net