By Sunny Simon
The other day I met with a client regarding her job search. Debbie told me she interviewed with a firm and felt it went very well. Two weeks had passed and she had heard nothing. I quizzed her. Did you send a well-crafted thank you note? She nodded to the affirmative. My advice: never sit and stew when you can do something about it. At the very least, the employer owes you some kind of an answer. Call, or email them reiterating your interest in the position and ask where they are in the decision making process.
In this case, one possible scenario is Debbie may find the company hired another candidate. Although this may be a temporary disappointment, knowing the status enables her to move on and continue to search for that perfect position.
In his book, “The Last Lecture,” the late Randy Pausch, professor at Carnegie Mellon offers up an important life lesson. As a senior in high school, he set his sights on attending Brown University. Randy did not make the cut and ended up being wait-listed. Relegation to a wait list puts you in the same purgatory plight as the unknown job interview outcome. Gutsy Pausch was having none of that. He continued to call the admissions office until in his words, “they eventually decided they may as well accept me.”
Obviously tenacity worked for Randy. Let’s explore another scenario for our job seeker. Perhaps the employer was on the fence, undecided on who to hire and busy with a myriad of other issues. Contacting the company and reminding the employer that she is extremely interested in the position and ready to report for work, could tip the scale in her favor. It should be clear that my client had nothing to lose and everything to gain by letting her voice be heard.
My husband has a saying that goes like this, “do it for the next time.” Through the years I’ve learned the wisdom in this. Here’s a third possible scenario. My client finds out the job is filled, however, the employer appreciates her interest and takes the time to give her resume a second look. Coincidently, another job is opening up in the very near future. Debbie is invited back in to interview and lands the job. Trust me, it happens. Next time you face a barrier, muster up a little chutzpah and don’t take silence for an answer.
Sunny Simon is the owner of Raise the Bar High Life and Career Coaching. More about Sunny at www.raisethebarhigh.com
