Recently in Job-Search Followup Category

Janet writes:

Thank you for your helpful career advice!

I have a question about following up on job leads: If a job posted on the organization’s web site requests 1) that you email in your application, and 2) “No phone calls, please”, I assume I should not call a week after emailing in my resume and cover letter. I am assuming it would be better to email my follow-up.

What do you think?

The Career Doctor responds:

No, no, no. Yours is a common misconception among most of the job-seekers I talk with. When employers state “no phone calls” they mean they do not want to deal with initial applications or inquiries via the telephone — they want it by mail, fax, or email.

However, follow-up is a totally different issue altogether. I cannot stress enough the importance of follow-up in job-searching.

All job-seekers — if you are really interested in the job — should stay in contact with the prospective employer. It just does not make sense to mail, email, or fax your application and then just sit back and wait for someone to contact you.

Instead, take the initiative and follow-up. Following-up is important for a number of reasons. First, to make sure the employer received your entire application. Second, to show you interest and enthusiasm for the position. Third, to learn more about the timetable for when interview might begin.

I know of very few employers who would be offended by a job-seeker politely contacting them about the status of their application. And those few who do get angry or annoyed? You probably would not want to work for them anyway!

Just remember to be professional — and do not follow-up too often where you become a pest.

Finally, remember to always follow-up when you have good news to add to your application, such as a certification or degree, a promotion, or a major accomplishment.

To learn more, read this article published on Quintessential Careers: Follow Up All Job Leads: Don’t Wait by the Phone (or Computer).

Andrea writes:

I stumbled onto your website, and wow, it has been extremely informative and I am looking forward to utilizing the information I learned in your tutorials in my upcoming interviews. I do have a question that I hope you can help me with.

My question is: When being interviewed by a panel of people would it be appropriate at the beginning of the interview to write down the names of all of the panel members involved in the interview so proper spelling and inclusion on thank-you notes is assured, or should I ask the receptionist or secretary after the interview for the proper spelling of all panelists? Thank you for your time.

The Career Doctor responds:

I think there is no wrong or right answer here. I think the most important part is getting every member of the panel’s name and title correct so that you can write individual thank-you notes to each member.

That said, I think the ideal scenario would be to actually get the names of the panel before the interview — if possible. Since you know it’s going to be a panel of people, you must have a contact at the company. I would ask that person for each person’s name (and spelling of their names) and title. This information would be helpful to you in addition to the thank-you notes; by having their names, you can kind of practice responding to them.

If the panel composition is not set before the time of your interview, I would use some sort of memory aid, even jotting down people’s names, but I don’t think I would interrupt the flow of the interview to ask for the correct spelling of their names. I might ask for business cards. And yes, I would follow-up with the department assistant or company receptionist about the correct spelling of names of the panel members.

I’m horrible at remembering names in pressure situations like interviews, but if you can master that skill, it really adds a very positive dimension to panel interviews when you can respond to people by using their names.

Finally, remember to look at each person on the panel as you respond to questions so that each one feels equally important. Smile, make good eye contact, be confident, project your voice, and try not to be intimidated by the panel. The best panel interviews are ones that seem more like discussions than a grilling or inquisition.

Brush up on your interviewing skills by going to the Guide to Job Interviewing section of Quintessential Careers.

Shayla writes:

Today I had my first “big” interview since my graduation. I guess I wasn’t entirely prepared though. I was asked about my college experience, and I don’t feel like I really went into enough detail. I know if I was given the opportunity to have a second interview, I would be able to talk about how successful I was in college. I had a 3.8 GPA, and I organized and participated in many events. I also participated in the virtual stock market and was respected a great deal by many of my teachers including the Director of Education. Should I include my feelings in the follow-up letter or just cross my fingers and hope for the best?

The Career Doctor responds:

Let me give a little lecture first — what else would you expect from a college professor — and then some advice. Interview preparation, as you have now learned the hard way, is critical to successful job-hunting. You can’t anticipate every interview question, but there are many sources for finding the common questions employers ask — and all job-seekers should at least have a handle on how to respond to those.

I just heard from one of my alums, who has still not found a job, that the employer did not have a complete copy of her resume during her recent job interview, so the interview was awkward. What was her big mistake? Even though she had been told many times to always bring extra copies of her resume to the interview, she actually did not even bring one!!

So, repeat after me, if you really have any interest in a job, be sure to prepare for the interview.

Okay. So what can you do now? Write a more detailed thank-you letter than one normally would. We call it, a thank-you letter that mentions afterthoughts. You still write the traditional appreciation for the interview, but then you add a paragraph that details the one or two key points (relevant to the job) that you forgot to mention in the interview.

And yes, this approach is much better than waiting and hoping. You also need to be proactive and (politely) aggressive when job-hunting.

Find a sample thank-you letter that mentions interview afterthoughts, as well as all sorts of other tank-you notes and post-interview follow-up letters in this section of Quintessential Careers: Sample Job Interview and Career Thank-You Letters.

And for help with preparing for interview questions, check out these Job Interview Question Collections for Job-Seekers.

Thomas writes:

I came across your excellent website (Quintessential Careers) and found it very informative. I would like to ask your advice on a recent situation regarding an internal position for which I have applied.

I submitted my application and had what I thought was in general a successful interview. After the interview I followed up with an email outlining my interest, thanked the panel for the opportunity and restated how I believe I would be the best candidate for the role.

I have been advised that it will be about two weeks before a final decision is made. My main question is how I could add value during this time so that my impression at the interview is still fresh given that over 20 candidates have applied internally for this one high profile position.

Being an internal position, there is also an informal process where managers put in “a good word” for certain candidates. How appropriate would it be to ask my manager to speak with the hiring manager? I did have a conversation several months ago and this was offered should I consider applying for an internal position.

On a final note, should my current position change during the hiring process, or I receive additional responsibility or accolades, is it appropriate to make the hiring manager aware of this by email.

The Career Doctor responds:

You ask all the right questions here, and since you are asking them in a certain way, I am sure you already know how I am going to answer them.

First, regardless of whether it is an external or internal position, the job-seeker is always on a marketing campaign to convince the hiring manager that s/he is right for the job. For internal positions, it’s a bit different because you already have a reputation — a reputation that has ideally been developed through your excellent work and careful self-marketing.

Second, kudos on writing the thank-you email. I do wonder if you could have done something more formal, but the most important thing is that you thanked the panel and restated your position.

Third, I think it’s very wise to think of creative ways your name can come up so that you are not lost among all the candidates that follow. So, my answer is yes, do both. Especially if your manager has a good reputation with the hiring manager, I would take him/her up on the offer. Please note: if the manager had not offered, I would not suggest going to your manager and asking for the referral. And yes, of course, should you have a change or status or land a big account — or anything else noteworthy — it is perfectly acceptable to drop a line to the hiring manager with the update.

Best of luck to you. I think you have a great plan and are executing it well.

It might be helpful to also read this article, Moving Up the Ladder: 10 Strategies for Getting Yourself Promoted, published on Quintessential Careers.

Kelly writes:

I’ve been using an executive recruiter to find a new job, and it has worked well. I just came back from an interview for a job that is perfect for me, and with a company I want to work for. I immediately called my recruiter and told him how I felt. Should I still write a thank-you letter to the employer? I don’t want to upset my recruiter by going around him. What do you think I should do?

The Career Doctor responds:

I’m glad you wrote me this question because I don’t get many emails about working with recruiters (also referred to as headhunters), and they can be a valuable addition to your job search.

There are recruiters for just about every profession/industry and location. The relationship is often stronger when a recruiter contacts you, but job-seekers — especially those with several years of experience — should at least research potential headhunters when undertaking a job-search.

A couple of other pieces of information. Recruiters work for the employer, and they get paid when they place someone in the position. Job-seekers never have to pay a fee to reputable recruiters — because the employer pays the fee.

That all said, yes, you should always tell your recruiter exactly how you felt about a particular prospective employer - especially when you are as sure as you seem to be. It’s then the recruiter’s job to push your candidacy with the employer.

However, working with a recruiter does not suspend basic job-search etiquette, and you most certainly should write thank-you notes to all the folks you interviewed with. Doing so will not undermine the recruiter.

For more information and articles related to using headhunters, please go to this section of Quintessential Careers: Recruiter/Headhunter Resources, Directories & Associations

Finally, check out these Sample Job Interview and Career Thank-You Letters published on Quintessential Careers.

Oliver writes:

I had a interview with Pfizer for a pharmaceutical sales rep position three weeks ago, and the interviewer told me not to get impatient. She said I wouldn’t her anything for a few weeks. Should I start to worry? She told me that I did a really good job

The Career Doctor responds: