Did you ever think about how you follow up after submitting a resume or interviewing for a job could make or break you? Preparing for your follow up, whether a phone call, email, or Thank You note can say a lot about you that your resume may have not. A lackadaisical approach to the follow up just may cost your candidacy to be dropped from the short list or your resume to be moved to the bottom of the pile.
Reflecting on my previous recruiter experience brought me share “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly” of following up.
The Good
It’s not always easy to make those follow up calls or send that email; however, the more prepared you are the easier the task. The method you use to contact a prospective employer is less important than the message itself. Whether following up in writing or by telephone, be prepared to communicate thoughtfully. Demonstrate your familiarity with the company and reinforce your qualifications and sincere interest in the position for which you’re applying. Be courteous and concise, especially if you reach a hiring manager by phone. Start by asking if the person has a few minutes to spare, for instance, before launching into the reason for your call. If necessary create a script or talking points for the call.
The BadSay you returned from a career fair a week or so ago, you submitted an application and now you would like to know the status of your application. You have misplaced the card of the person you spoke with at the fair and you cannot remember the name, title or where they were located. Don’t be embarrassed. It has happened to all of us.
Before you call the company’s headquarters or local office remember it is likely the person you randomly reach will be unable to provide information regarding your candidacy. Introduce yourself politely and state why you are calling. The more information you can provide about the job opportunity the better. For example, if I were in this situation I might say, “Hello, my name is Darla Mayse and I recently applied for a Chef Manager position at Sodexo’s Brookings Health Care system in Brookings, South Dakota and I would like to speak to someone in Talent Acquisition who can update me on the status of my application.”
It’s not a bad idea to write what you want to say down so you can be clear, concise and quick with your request. A prepared, qualified job seeker increases their chances of landing the job.
The Ugly
They say persistence pays off but there is a fine line between appropriate and inappropriate persistence. In this job market, it is hard not be anxious; however, don’t ruin your chances before even getting your foot in the door by making excessive status update calls. Most experts recommend following up one to two weeks of and interview or submission of a resume unless otherwise advised not to. So what type of follow up contact is appropriate?
- If you haven’t received a response to your resume it’s OK to contact the company two weeks after you submitted. Two weeks may seem like a long time but keep in mind Sodexo’s recruiters hire for more than 400 jobs each month.
- If you have interviewed for a position, don’t forget to send a Thank You note email within 24 hours. You can read about the importance of an interview Thank you note and a sample in our job search tips on this blog.
- If you haven’t heard from anyone within a week of your interview, it is appropriate to reach out to your contact... but not every day! When scheduling interviews our recruiters are working with many different schedules. Once all of the interviews have been conducted it can take some time to thoroughly review candidates and interview notes with hiring managers.
You can learn more about applying for a job at Sodexo and interviewing on this blog.
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