The Proactive Bird Gets The Worm
By Peter Jenkins, Office Coordinator, Drake & Company Staffing Specialists
You have been looking for a new job for a few weeks, and you have seen several positions online that interest you and match up well with your background. As instructed, you promptly e-mailed your resume and also attached a cover letter and a list of references. Now, the waiting game begins as you patiently wait for someone to call, express interest in your resume, and invite you in for an interview.
Unfortunately, the phone does not seem to be ringing, and your e-mail inbox is not full of enthusiastic replies from interested employers. Frustration is a reasonable response, and many of us would be probably just try to forget about the positions they applied for and start looking for more opportunities. You certainly should continue to explore all of your options, but also do not be afraid to place a follow up call or e-mail (calling is usually better) to the companies that you previously contacted. If you do not hear from a company within 5-7 business days, then it is absolutely acceptable to contact them (find a specific person to contact if possible) to express your interest in their current job opportunity and make sure that they did in fact receive your resume.
If you are not hearing back from a potential employer, then you really have nothing to lose, so why not be proactive and see what happens? Maybe the wrong person received your resume? Maybe the folks in HR are swamped and have not had time to review resumes yet? Maybe there was some kind of computer issue on their end or on your end? Maybe someone just gave their notice and there is a new opportunity that has not even been posted yet? The worst thing that can happen is that they say that you are not a match for any of their current openings, and even if that is the news that you hear, then at least at that point you have some kind of closure.
A job search in the 21st century involves a lot of pointing and clicking, but it is also important to remember that a quick phone call might still be important when you are pursuing a new position. Do not be afraid to pick up the phone and find out why you are not hearing back from employers. Your attempt to be proactive just might make the difference.
Peter Jenkins is the Office Coordinator at Drake & Company Staffing Specialists, a staffing-firm based in Madison, WI. Drake & Company’s focus is on direct hire, temp-to-hire, and temporary hires in the administrative, clerical and legal fields. Since 1978, Drake & Company has reached beyond skills and qualifications to match a candidate’s personality to a company’s culture. The result is the right fit for your career or business. In addition to being Drake’s Office Coordinator, Peter is also the principal writer for Drake & Company’s resume service. To send Peter an email, click .