calling an potential employer
I found a job posted on a company website that I think is an exact match for my experience and interest. I submitted a cover letter and resume to the person listed on the posting. (Feb 26) My question is, should I call and talk to someone about the job opening? If nothing else, I want to see if the job is still available. This job is perfect for me (bordering on a dream job) What should I do? Wait or call?
I would wait a few days, then follow up with a phone call. If you call too soon, they will see you as a pest! It may have been a good idea, if you wanted to be sure the job was still open, to have called prior to submitting your resume. You could possibly have paved the way to be remembered favorably once they got the resume. (That' s what I did with the job I just got--it was an old ad, and I was able to get hold of the hiring manager' s boss, who was apparently doing some of the screening. She said they were still accepting resumes and hadn' t started the interview process; I guess I made a good impression, as I got the job....) But that probably would work only with a small outfit--in a large company probably wouldn' t make a difference. But at this point I think you need to wait several days before calling. Yes, call. But don't call to see if the job is still open or whether or not they received your resume. Look at the job ad and see what seems important in the job that you can match. For example if they are looking for someone with five years industry experience, call and say: "Good morning. My name is Bontrjd and I submitted my resume for the manager position that you advertised. I have the five years industry experience in a firm that is similar to yours and would like to know when I could come in for an interview." I don't see this as putting anyone off and at a minimum it may get them to pull your resume to the top of the pile. If it's a larger company, you may not be able to get the information you need even if you call. For starters, it's unlikely you will even get to talk to a live person, except for the receptionist who will most likely simply transfer you to someone's VM or just tell you to apply according to the instructions in the ad and hang up. Not to mention that since you only get to talk to the gatekeepers, who may or may not know the answer to your question, but will not allow you to talk to anyone above them regardless, the information you are given may not even be correct. I think your best bet is to apply and if they think you are a good fit, and if the position is still open, they'll call you. Case in point. I saw an ad posted on a corporate web site. I was not sure how long it had been there, so I called HR to find out if the position was still open. The woman who picked up the phone said, without even taking the time to check on the status of the position, that if it's up on their web site, that means it's still open and that I should go ahead and apply. I did. The next day, I did a little research to find out who the head of the department was and forwarded a copy of my resume to her as well (the ad was still up). An hour later, I accidentally clicked on their web site in my 'Favorites' and, as the page opened up, I realized that all of the jobs I had seen there that morning, except 2, were gone, including the one I had just applied to. What do you want to bet that the Director saw my e-mail, called HR, and yelled at them for not maintaining the employment page and leaving up positions that have already been filled? So much for checking with HR. | |
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Career Tips
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