How should a job seeker follow up to an application?
This post was inspired by one of my young engineering clients (VS) in Florida. He asked me the question and said if I had a blog post that answered it, point him to it. The words follow up in my blogs search engine will bring up many posts that are close to that topic but not right on the mark, posts like these:
- 9 Point Checklist if you wonder why you can’t find a job!
- The challenge of finding the best strategy in job search
- Wrong job search advice = wrong results
And more. But it doesn’t really address step-by-step how to follow up. So, VS, here is your post!
How would you advise a job seeker to follow up?
There are many points of follow up but VS was asking what to do when you submit the resume to someone and you don’t know if they got it or what the next step.
The fun part about this kind of follow up is that it is logical. You need to make sure the employer or hiring manager actually received the resume. If it fell into the black hole of ATS land (applicant tracking systems) and it got lost, you need to know it actually went somewhere.
Don’t e-mail, this is the time to pick up the phone. Research who to call and make sure you know that this person could make a hiring decision. You can speak to Human Resources but really you want to speak to the hiring manager for the department, team, or area in which you want to work.
Use the 11 tips for your phone in job search and always ask the question, “Is this a good time for you to talk?”
Ask if they received resume and while staying in the polite mode, ask if they can tell you the next step and what the time frame is for that step. If it is a phone interview, find out approximately when they plan to schedule phone interviews. But don’t be pushy. Just be polite and friendly.
Don’t sit around waiting for the first call from them wondering if your resume actually got there. Be proactive! Those are the job seekers who actually get jobs!
If you are seeking a personalized job search and resume writing firm who understands the challenges job seekers face, hire me, an expert career professional to do it for you. You will find your new role and be doing what you do best. To find out how, Click here!
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Julie Walraven
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