Having Trouble Getting A Job!
I have been seriously looking for a job for 2 months now. I send out about 6 to 8 resumes a week. I have been on 5 interviews so far and no job offers yet. Every interview, they said they would call either if I got the job or didn' t and guess what? NONE have called! One job for which I was totally over qualified and made it to the 3rd interview said they had about 6 candidates, etc.... Well, the job has been posted again. This job in question was nothing great but I' m thinking out of 6 "qualified" candidates, they couldn' t get one -- not even me? Had a phone interview for one company and passed, the next step was for someone to call and arrange an interview with me. Never happend! My last interview was a week ago and the hiring person said he was going to think it over the weekend and make a decision on Monday (would call either way). No call. I did email him and he said he would be deciding by the end of the week instead (yesterday), still NO call!
That really is unprofessional of employers, even though many do this. I think they forget what it' s like to be out there looking for work. Do you really want to work for people that do not even have the courtesy to let you know you didn' t get the job? I guess I' ve been lucky that they just give me date without any promise of a call. Don' t take it personal. When I first started my job search back in November, I kicked ass at an interview and they said they' ll bring me in for a second. Nothing, felt pretty bad. Then things started getting stressful at work, so I really started blasting my resume out in Jan. For the first part of the month didn' t even get any interviews. I was even ready for a pay cut. Then things just picked up. I was getting calls directly from the hiring managers. Now I' m getting picky. Just hang in there. You are getting interviews, so you got something. You are getting second interviews so you' re worth hiring. Just keep at it. Don' t just view an interview as an interim step to a job offer. View it as a learning experience. How could you have done better? I' ve been experimenting with different resume formats, contact methods, I' m even questioning if I should abandon the suit for some interviews.
"....he said he would be deciding by the end of the week instead (yesterday), still NO call! " While I agree it is rude & inexcusable for employers not to get back to people if they say they will, what job seekers have to understand is that a hiring manager has lots more on his/her plate than hiring someone for a position! Decisions get delayed all the time; I would say it' s the norm rather than the exception that a decision is not made by the original date they tell you. In the case above, even if a decision were reached on Friday, it' s unrealistic to expect a call that day, whether you are or are not the "chosen one." Maybe they didn' t decide until late in the day, maybe the hiring manager has decided who he wants, but has to consult with HR regarding salary, an offer letter, etc. These decisions are not made in a void. In your case, worldshopper, I would wait until Tuesday this week, then call to follow up. But don' t get on this guy' s case because you think you have been left twisting in the wind. That may not be the case at all. Just wait until you actually speak to him before judging the situation.
I concur. Just don' t say you' ll do something if you don' t plan to. Business is about people. How you conduct your self, your word... I think job seekers don' t demand what they' re worth and accept this shabby treament because it' s a bad market. Go on plenty of interviews so you don' t waste your time fretting over whether they' ll hire you or not. You shouldn' t be just asking "do they want to hire me", but "Do I really want to work for them"! I just went on an interview with CB Richard Ellis. Fantastic experience! Even though it turns out it wasn' t an exact fit for me, the HR girl updated me on the situation every step of the way. She apologized that it will take awhile before an interview (2 weeks-not even long), but assured me the hiring manager is interested. As soon as I decided it was not for me, I notified her instead of using them as a backup. This is how it is supposed to be. You are worth something people. I mean be realistic, but expect a certain amount of respect that you rightfully deserve. Yea, I show up for the interview on time (actually 10 mins. early), am polite, write a follow-up thank you note everytime and then I' m treated like this. Add to that the fact that I come to them, and take 2 to 3 hours out of my day to interview. I don' t even have a problem if the company does not call if I don' t have the job -- just don' t say you are going to call and then don' t. Today, I had reservations at a restaurant but couldn' t make it. Instead of blowing them off, I called and canceled and I could tell they were pleased that I had the common courtesy to do so. I was previously employed for 6 years with a foreign (European) company. Prior to that, 6 years with another European company. Dealing with American companies of late has been an interesting experience. No wonder why the rest of the world thinks Americans have poor manners. "...they should not tell a candidate that they will decide and/or call by a certain date." Well, I think you are right on this--to give an exact date is usually very unrealistic, and it' s better to give an anticipated date, rather than a firm one. And there are companies that say they will call to let you know "one way or another" with no intention of doing so. And some do intend to, but don' t "get around" to it. And both situations exhibit a lack of manners and consideration, or an appreciation for the time a candidate has taken to interview with them. Again, I say this is inexcusable. Having said that, though, many hiring managers or HR people fully intend to make a decision by a certain date, and things happen in the workplace that simply make it impossible. Not all employers who don' t call once that date has passed are blowing you off, breaking their word, or screwing around with frivolous activities instead of making a decision. I was a hiring manager at one time, and supervised several people. They would tell you that I had the utmost respect for them and was a great boss (I' m not trying to toot my own horn here, but this is what they told me!). However, when it came time to hire staff, it was necessarily low on my priority list, since I did not have any of my daily duties "suspended" in order to conduct a candidate search & interview process. And my days were already more than full! It used to take me weeks to fill a position, regardless of how soon I needed somebody or how well meaning I was regarding making a decision. Though I never did tell anyone I was going to make a decision by a firm date, I usually went past my hoped-for date. When a printer calls you to go on a press run, or a proof on a big job comes in, or a client has a change-order on a job and needs to meet with you immediately, the hiring process simply must take a back seat. It is sometimes unavoidable. It does not mean the hiring manager is ignoring you or being inconsiderate. And, yes, sometimes even making a short phone call or dropping you an e-mail is not possible at that moment. And I never minded a phone call from a candidate asking the status of the process. I was always totally honest about what the reasons were: not having reviewed all the resumes yet, not having finished all the interviews yet, or not having met with my boss to make a decision on 2nd interviews or a final decision. Whatever the reason. And once a decision was made, I called back every person who had interviewed in person to tell them of the decision, whether they were the hire or not. I just think sometimes you have to give the interviewer the benefit of a doubt; they aren' t all trying to jerk you around. Honest!
People in general deserve the benefit of doubt. However, let' s turn the table around. If you are a hiring manager and a candidate/co worker said they will meet you at a certain time/date to get some work done and they don' t do so without even a notice. Regardless of the circumstances behind it, how does this reflect on the value they place on your relationship? You said it your self, "it was necessarily low on my priority list", and it shows. I have not been a hiring manager, but I have managed temps. Personally, I don' t care if I' m dealing with the janitor, I will give the person the same respect as I would a ceo. I just feel better about myself that way, and you never know how things have a way of coming back to you. The candidate you didn' t take the time to notify this year might end up being the hiring manager you are interviewing with the next. "....The candidate you didn' t take the time to notify this year might end up being the hiring manager you are interviewing with the next." I don' t think you read my post correctly or all the way through or you' d have seen my comment: "And once a decision was made, I called back every person who had interviewed in person to tell them of the decision, whether they were the hire or not. " So, yes, I personally notified everyone who had interviewed, even those who did not make it to the second round. My point is that if I told someone I "hoped to make a decision in the next two weeks," if two weeks on the dot came and went, I did not, nor could I, call up 6 or 7 candidates merely to tell them that I hadn' t yet made a decision. Hoping to have a decision in two weeks is not the same as stating it as fact, nor the same as saying to someone "I' ll call you in two weeks," then not calling. However, candidates were always welcome in my world to call in two weeks, and I did not brush anyone off. I told them what the status was, and that I' d call them when a decision was made. And I did. Many job seekers who post on these boards seem to expect a call on THE day they were told that a decision would--or might--be made. That in and of itself does not mean that they will get a call that very day. And less than 24 hours after that, are here complaining that they haven' t gotten a call yet. Does anyone ever consider that if a decision is made on that day, they still have to call the winning candidate, make the offer, and see if it' s accepted? Who knows? Maybe choice #1 will decline; then they call #2, etc. Or the decision is made at 4:30 p.m. that day during a meeting---no time to call after that. All I' m saying is that reality is reality, and people should give a company at least a few days after the date they were told a decision would be made--before they start bitching. And I never said it was OK not to notify people who were not hired, just that they should not expect notification exactly when someone #### a decision will be, or is anticipated to be, made. | |
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