Q: Last month, I accepted a buyout offer from my company, and I’m currently freelancing while I look for a new full-time position. I had a good job interview recently and followed up a few days later thanking the interviewer. During the interview, he said he was interested in my candidacy and wanted to bring me back in to meet with more people. I haven’t heard anything since. Should I do more to find out where I stand?
A: Out of sight, out of mind. Stay in front of this person. Your goal is a live conversation to express your interest and gauge theirs. Remember, this job might be your top priority, but it’s not your contact’s top priority. You don’t know what their to-do list looks like. Be patient and assertive. Often the person who was the most recent contact is the person who moves ahead. Showing your level of interest and eagerness is worthwhile.
Sometimes an interviewer isn’t getting back to you because they’re pursuing another candidate. You could be a strong number two candidate, and they might be deliberately slowing down your process and speeding up somebody else’s; this way, they can come back to you if the other candidate doesn’t accept. A lot could be going on, but there’s nothing worse than not knowing, so continue in your efforts to contact this person. You might consider making contact through an admin to get a clue about the situation: Is your contact available or is he or she traveling? Can the admin get you on your contact’s calendar to speak at a scheduled time? Just communicating with the admin could help if that person encourages your contact to return your call.
It’s common to feel like repeated attempts at contact become annoying and that you’re at risk of leaving a bad impression. But it doesn’t have to be all or nothing — find a balance. How many calls make you a pest and how many calls make you an interested candidate? Sending an e-mail every hour all day is a pest. Sending an e-mail or voicemail every third day conveys a level of interest. Calling before hours or after hours is a great approach, too — your contact might be more likely to pick up the phone if you aren’t catching them at the busiest part of their day.
When do you accept silence as confirmation that you’re no longer being considered for the job? It depends on how much time and effort you have invested. The rule of thumb is to expect an equal reaction to your action — if you only sent a letter or e-mail, you’re not likely to get a response. If you had a phone interview, you might get something from a recruiter, the manager, or an admin. If you’ve had a face-to-face with one or more people, you deserve a conversation (and if not, that reflects poorly on the organization looking to hire someone). The best thing to do is make sure you know what the next step in the process is before you even leave the interview. Say something like, “If I don’t hear from you, can I call you within the next week?’’ By doing that, you have something concrete on which to base your follow-up.
Definitely do more to find out where you stand — staying top of mind for the interviewer is in your best interest, so go ahead and put in another follow-up call.
Elaine Varelas is managing partner at Keystone Partners, a career management firm in Boston, and serves on the board of Career Partners International.
