- Edited by Ben Mudrak
Now that you have submitted your resume and done your research on the company that interests you, what’s next? You still haven’t heard back from the recruiter or the HR department, except perhaps in an automated email telling you the reference number for your application. For many companies, the HR person is probably overwhelmed with resume after resume. This is sometimes the reason that companies are willing to pay recruiters to find top candidates. Usually, the fee paid to recruiters is a percentage of your pay, so most recruiters prefer to focus on high-paying positions. If you have experience, you may have a better chance of getting in front of a hiring manager through a recruiter. However, if you are just starting out and have only a little bit of experience, it can seem like you are on your own. My take on this is: why not be your own recruiter? Who is better than you to promote you? Who knows you better than yourself? So, do what the recruiters do.
Get the word out
First, I would suggest getting the word out that you are seeking employment. People will always ask, “What are you doing these days?” This is the perfect opportunity to say, “I am looking for a job or new opportunity. Let me know if you hear of any in your company or industry,” etc. You never know where your next opportunity will come from, but unless other people know that you are looking, they won’t be telling you about it.
Follow up
Second, follow up on every prospect that you hear of. Sometimes people tell you that they heard about a position opening, but can’t quite remember. They’ll say that they’ll try to find out and will let you know. Unfortunately, most people have a short memory span when it comes to tasks outside of their daily routine and job duties. Follow up on that conversation and ask them to send you information about that position. Following up also signals to them that you are serious about seeking employment. Most people don’t like to disappoint, so when you follow up with them and the prospect doesn’t materialize, they will try harder to find out about another job opening for you. Now, you have just recruited some help in your job search.
Volunteer/Part time work
Third, if you are currently unemployed, consider volunteer work or a part-time position. Volunteer work can be very rewarding and can also provide you with another avenue for contacts. Many large corporations have programs to encourage volunteer work by their employees. If you work shoulder to shoulder with an employee at the soup kitchen, it’s easy to start up a conversation and ask for help in your search. For one thing, you already know that the individual is someone who likes helping others. Moreover, this individual can appreciate your work ethic from your work at the shelter. I am not saying to go out and stalk someone at the place where they volunteer or to volunteer just for the sake of contacts. The main reason to enter into volunteer work or part-time employment during your job search is really more about your confidence.
Despite what everyone else might think, what you do does define you. (Well, that’s my opinion, anyway!) If you are not a researcher, a lecturer, or a technician, it’s tough to define yourself in today’s society. When the job that we have keeps us at our workplace at least eight hours out of the day, our coworkers sometimes know more about us than our family members. When you no longer have a job to go to, you lose that social network, and it isn’t easy. I spoke to a number of my friends who experienced some hard times adjusting to this isolation. Every time a job slips away from you, you lose a little more self-confidence. So, although volunteer work can help you gain some connections, its biggest role is to help you retain that confidence in your abilities to reason, to be productive and to socialize.
Volunteer work and part-time employment also help explain any gaps in your work history. Although many employers are more understanding nowadays with regard to unemployment, it always helps to show that you have remained active. Employers may only be able to guess what you have been doing for the past six months in between jobs, but if you show that you have taken the opportunity to do some meaningful work that benefits society and your community at large, you will look more like the guy who is given lemons and makes lemonade. That’s an appealing quality for any company.
The Phone Interview
Let’s say you receive a call or e-mail asking for a time to schedule your first phone interview. Having done all that research on the company, you are prepared. Just in case, do a search for “the company’s name + news” for any developments within the last few days that you might not be aware of. Then, prepare a list of questions to ask the interviewer. Good questions are those about the job, your manager/supervisor, your co-workers, the job expectations, and the company’s future directions. Bad questions are those about money and compensation. Most interviewers will ask you for your salary expectations during the phone interview. I would suggest giving them your current salary as a basis to start from, especially if you know that you would not be willing to work for less. However, if possible, wait until you have gone through the entire interview process and had ample time to convince them that you are the right candidate for the position before discussing salary. You could simply say that you are looking for the right position with the right company and compensation isn’t your focus right now.
On the day of the call, be prepared to have multiple phone lines – a landline and cell phone – as well as your e-mail open. If the interviewer cannot reach you by phone, the last resort will be e-mail. Have a copy of your resume, a notepad, and your list of questions in hand. You know that your interviewer will have your resume in his/her hands, so having a copy in yours can help you see where the line of questioning is going. It will also help jog your memory if he/she happens to ask you about a job that you had a long, long time ago that you still put on your resume. Use the notepad to write down answers to your questions and also questions that you can ask the interviewer later. Almost always, the interviewer will ask you if you have any further questions. Use this opportunity to ask your remaining questions. This will also demonstrate to the interviewer that you have been paying attention to what he/she has been saying. Before you end the conversation, always ask the interviewer what the next step in the process will be. Most often, it will be a face-to-face interview. At this point, it is critical that you ask if the interviewer will recommend you for this next step. If there is an objection, this will be your chance to convince him/her otherwise. Unless you ask the question, however, you will never know. You may leave the interview thinking that it went well and that you will be moving on to the next stage, but you may be wrong.
As it is getting to be another late night for me, I will end this second part here and resume the discussion another day to talk about the face-to-face interview and salary negotiations. Thanks again for following my blog! Again, I welcome any feedback and comments.
