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:
Call. Call now!
Does it hurt to call her? No! Don’t start calling every day, but get on that phone and show your interest in the job and use the chance to make a statement that you are the best qualified for the sales rep position. The squeaky-wheel theory — as long as you don’t get annoying or abusive — really works. By calling and showing interest in the position, you are showing your commitment to wanting the job.
Follow-up is extremely important in job-hunting, and job-seekers must take initiative! By the way, I assume you DID send her a thank-you letter or note following the interview, right?
What are you waiting for? Make that call today!
Patty writes:
Is it appropriate to send a thank-you letter for a phone interview?
The Career Doctor responds:
Yes, yes, yes.
Anytime you have any contact with a prospective employer, if you want to
stand out from the crowd, you should always send a thank-you letter or note.
Always. Do so after a phone interview, job fair interview, panel interview, on-campus interview, and even after a chance encounter at a professional
meeting. Any time, any situation.
A thank-you letter can never hurt your chances (unless it is just poorly written),
and can give you just enough of a boost to push you toward the front of the line.
All you need to do is thank the person for their time — and express your interest
in the organization and your enthusiasm for the position you are seeking.
Read more about thank-you letters in this article published on Quintessential Careers:
FAQs About Thank You Letters.
Annette writes:
I went on an interview today and at the end of the interview the
hiring manager tells me that I would be too bored in this position.
He totally caught me off guard, and I honestly could not respond to
his comment. However, I do want to emphasize to him in a thank-you letter that I would be an asset to his group and organization
and that I am perfectly qualified for this position.
He seemed to be really impressed with my experience and skills
during the whole interview. I don’t know where I went wrong. He gave
an impression that his group was not “organized” and he seemed
frustrated that there isn’t some sort of policy in place for most of their
work. As I have emphasized all the processes I’ve implemented for
3 divisions and so on; I would think that he would be highly interested.
Can you give me some advice as to how I can mention in my letter what
he said and how I disagree with him, etc. Can you help me?
The Career Doctor responds:
First, don’t panic too much. We all have been stumped in job interviews
by questions or comments that seem to come from out of nowhere. And
you are absolutely correct that the perfect place to address the issue is
in the interview thank-you letter.
Being too bored sounds very similar to being over-qualified and it might
have been his hint to you that the position is below you, but it also may
be that you did not do as well a job as you had hoped on selling him on
what you could do for his group.
So, besides the usual information in a thank-you note, you should include
a paragraph that specifically deals with the issue — in your case the
comment about being bored.
After our interview, I’m convinced that I have all the ingredients you’re
looking for in your group manager. I know you expressed some concern
in our meeting that I would be too bored in this position. I want to stress,
however, that I am the perfect candidate for this position — with the right
mix of skills and experience to make an immediate and lasting impact
on the group and the organization.
Check out all the sample letters we have in this section of Quintessential Careers: Sample
Job Interview and Career Thank-You Letters.
Anonymous writes:
Just got out of a job interview. If you interview with multiple people
at the same time, is it okay to individually send the same letter to
all members of the panel? Thanks for your help.
The Career Doctor responds:
No, no, no! Just put yourself in their shoes. People in an office share
everything, and any points you gain from sending a thank-you note —
since many job-seekers still have not mastered this task — will be lost
when folks see you could not spend the time to personalize each letter.
Now, I am not saying that each letter has to be completely original. I
think there can be plenty of overlap — the paragraph about fit with the
organization can be the same in each letter — but for any thank-you
letter to be most effective, you need to show you made a connection
with the interviewer.
So, with a thank-you to a panel of interviewers, you need to take note
of something each one said and use that information to personalize
the thank-you letters.
And send those thank-you letters right away. I am dealing with a friend
who was raised in South America and just does not seem to get the
urgency of sending thank-you notes promptly — nor the nuance that the
thank-you letter is another marketing opportunity another chance to
sell yourself. The rule of thumb is to send the thank-you letter within
24 hours of the interview.
Read more in this article published on Quintessential Careers:
FAQs
About Thank You Letters.
Mara writes:
I read your article regarding Job Interview Follow Up Do’s & Don’ts. I interviewed
with a company for a position I was really interested in. The company has no
more 50 people and I met with 5; two of them were in HR. I sent thank-you
notes to each one. After two weeks and hearing nothing, I figured they found
someone else. Then HR emailed me (I would expect a phone call is faster
means of communication) asking me to come in again, and when I responded
both by email and phone, I never got a response
Some people have said it’s probably not a company I’d to work with.
What do you think?
The Career Doctor responds:
I might have to agree with some of your friends that this behavior might be
a sign that the company is not right for you. While I talk a lot about job-seeker etiquette in this blog, whenever I meet with employers I also remind them
of the importance of etiquette and respect — and I feel as though this employer
needs a little lesson in those areas.
Nice job, by the way, in writing a thank-you note to each person… and yes,
for all of you readers, you must thank each person who interviews you — and
yes, they all need to be original letters (though parts can be the same).
The only flaw I can see in your job-search strategy is that you did not follow up
after sending the thank-you notes. I’m dealing with a client in a similar situation
right now… you must be proactive, and you must continue (politely and professionally)
to show your interest in the position and the company.
My best guess is that you were possibly a second-choice candidate, and when the
first choice either backed out or looked as though he/she was going to back out,
you then received the email from human resources.
Learn more about the importance of following up here, in this article published on
Quintessential Careers: Follow Up
All Job Leads: Don’t Wait by the Phone (or Computer).
Jeanette writes:
Hi there. I am a current undergrad student upon the threshold of graduation
and am in the search of a job. I have compiled a resume and
sent it to one employer that posted a job I was very much interested in.
My question is focused on a matter of etiquette. It’s been perhaps 2 to 3
weeks since I submitted my resume and was wondering if it would be proper,
and conducive to the exhibition of etiquette, to call the employer and ask if
they received my resume and if so were interested? I would more so than
appreciate any advice you could give.
The Career Doctor responds:
You have great timing in sending your question because I just received an email from
Gina, a hiring manager, who complained about the prospective candidate who showed
up in the office unannounced a few days after his interview to check on his status,
and while they met with him to not appear rude, he just lost that job opportunity —
very bad job-seeking etiquette.
Your situation is quite different, though, and it gives me the opportunity to again
stress the importance of follow-up to all job-seekers. Please remember these
words if you want to succeed in finding a new job: follow up, follow up, follow up.
Following up job leads shows prospective employers your interest in the company
and position — and gives you another chance to sell your qualifications. Some job-seekers
fear sounding desperate or annoying when making follow-up inquiries, but as long
as you do it right, you will come across as interested, not desperate.
You need to track down every job lead and keep on top of the status of each of
those leads. I recommend waiting no more than two weeks to follow-up with a
prospective employer… calling or emailing to make sure your resume was received
and get your name remembered.
Here are some other tips:
- If you apply online for a position, consider following-up the online application with a
cover letter and resume sent to the hiring manager via postal mail. You will stand out over
the other online applicants because few will also send a hard copy.
- Keep your follow-up brief, to the point, and professional.
- Focus your follow-up around your fit with the position and organization and your USP.
You might also ask the hiring manager if he/she needs any further information not included
in your original application.
- If you recently completed training, received an award, or earned some other recognition
that would make you an even better candidate for the position, be sure to mention it in your follow-up.
- Continue following-up regularly
For much more advice and tips, read my article,
Follow Up All Job Leads:
Don’t Wait by the Phone (or Computer), published on Quintessential Careers.
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