Posts Tagged ‘job-search’
Waiting For the Official Job Offer
At the end of the third job interview, Helene was told by the hiring manager, “Congratulations, I am going to recommend you for the position. Expect a call from HR.” Helene breathed a sigh of relief because her job search of six months was finally over.
Helene went straight home and waited by the phone all day. The phone never rang.
As the week drew to a close, Helene began to get nervous. She hadn’t heard from HR. She wondered what had happened. She convinced herself that everything was fine, that the HR department must have been swamped. She wasn’t exactly sure what would be more important than calling and welcoming her onboard, but she knew the HR department had a good reason. After all, Helene was the most qualified candidate; the hiring manager told her so.
Days went by and still Helene heard nothing. Confused by the situation, she anxiously glanced through the Sunday morning classifieds wondering what had gone wrong.
Unfortunately, this happens to many jobseekers. They are offered the position by the interviewer and they never hear from HR or it takes months before a firm offer is made.
But there are steps that you can take as a jobseeker to minimize your risk of being strung along by an employer.
An easy and often neglected step is to find out what comes next after each interview. Establishing the next step gives you some control over the hiring process, and helps avoid the guessing game. Make it a point to leave each interview with a clear understanding of what you are supposed to do and what the hiring manager is supposed to do.
E-mail, fax, or snail mail a follow-up letter thanking the interviewer for the job offer and that you are looking forward to hearing from the HR department. Sending a note stresses to the interviewer what you heard and if there was any confusion on your part, compels the interviewer to contact you and address the misunderstanding.
If you haven’t heard from the employer in a timely fashion, call to reiterate your interest in the position. Here’s an example of an effective follow-up call: “Thank you for your time and for a very informative interview last week. Based on our last discussion, you are seeking an Executive Assistant who can effectively serve as a corporate liaison, manage administrative affairs, and support organizational goals. After a series of interviews, you were enthusiastically going to recommend me for the position but I have yet to hear from the Human Resources department. The Widget Corporation is my #1 choice and I am very interested in joining your team. Unfortunately, I will be forced to consider other options if I don’t receive an offer in writing by Friday at noon.”
By providing a timeline you create a sense of urgency and put the employer on notice that you are in demand. This may encourage them to move the process along. But only use this tactic if you really do have other options because setting a deadline that an employer is unable to meet could get you dropped from consideration.
Although I recommend that you follow-up with a phone call, don’t become a nuisance and call everyday. If you reach out to an employer several times without receiving a courtesy response, stop calling and move on.
As frustrating as it may be, you must always remain professional. Keep in mind that, until you are officially hired, every conversation you have with the employer is part of the interview process.
In conclusion, realize that a definite maybe does not qualify as a firm job offer. Therefore continue job searching until you receive an official offer. If an employer is interested in you, they will respect your time, return your phone calls, and make a concerted effort to keep you updated.
Don’t waste your time waiting by the phone. You deserve more than that.
About The Author
Recognized as a career expert, Linda Matias brings a wealth of experience to the career services field. She has been sought out for her knowledge of the employment market, outplacement, job search strategies, interview preparation, and resume writing, quoted a number of times in The Wall Street Journal, New York Newsday, Newsweek, and HR-esource.com. She is President of CareerStrides and the National Resume Writers’ Association. Visit her website at www.careerstrides.com or email her at careerstrides@bigfoot.com.
Job Search — One of the Secrets of a Trade Show
A trade show is a great place to network, look for a job, find a new employee or develop a partnership.
Are you in the market for a change? Maybe. Maybe not. But it’s always smart to be willing to chat.
CAVEAT ? Don’t gossip. Don’t be negative. Don’t burn bridges. Every industry is a closed loop, so what goes around comes around. You never know who knows what.
HERE’S A START – 50 QUESTIONS…….
These can be asked in an official interview or during a random, casual conversation. Listen carefully not only to the words but the tone and context.
1) Why did or do you want to leave your last employer?
2) What is your favorite aspect about your job?
3) What is your least favorite aspect about your job?
4) Have you ever had to tell your Boss “no”?
5) Have you ever had to tell your client “no”?
6) What is the last trade magazine you read?
7) What trade associations do you belong to?
How important is travel? Are there restrictions?
9) Are you a team player? How? Give some examples
10) If your Boss asked you to do something, and your client asked you to do something different, what would you do?
11) If your Boss asked you to do something, and my Boss asked you to do something different, what would you do?
12) Tell me about your experience with software programs
13) What is one fundamental need when you negotiate a contract?
14) If you just finished a task and had nothing else assigned, what would you do?
15) If you needed new or additional resources to do your job better, what would you do?
16) What is your opinion of the XYZ industry? Where do see the industry going in the next year?
17) Why are you interested in working at this firm?
18) Why should we hire you?
19) What would you do if you don’t receive information or a contract by a deadline? What could you do to prevent this in the future?
20) What do you do when you know you are right, your supervisor disagrees and cannot be swayed otherwise?
21) Have you thought about leaving your present position before? If yes, what held you back?
22) Tell me about a conflict you faced in your prior job and how you resolved it
23) Describe the best qualities of your previous Boss
24) Describe a time when you worked on an unsuccessful team. What made it unsuccessful? What could have saved the team?
25) Describe a time when you worked on a team when everything clicked
26) Describe yourself by using action verbs
27) Tell me about the last time you broke the rules
28) Tell me about the last time you had to tell someone something that they did not want to hear
29) How did you prepare for this interview?
30) Name a time when you had to bend company policy to better serve a customer
31) What do you see as the role of support staff in an organization?
32) How do you handle conflict within the office?
33) Do you have any language or cultural skills?
34) What type of special skills can you bring to this company?
35) Do you prefer to work as part of a team or by yourself?
36) Do you prefer to be incentivized as part of a team, or individually?
37) Are you an innovator or an implementer?
38) How do you make your workplace a good place to work?
39) What is your top pet peeve?
40) What is the last non-industry book you read?
41) Tell me about a speaker you heard that you really enjoyed, and why?
42) What do you like to do in your free time?
43) Have you ever fired anyone? Why? How did it make you feel?
44) What are some things you would like to avoid in a job? Why?
45) What kind of problems have people called on you to solve? Tell me what you did
46) What was your most difficult decision in the last six months? What made it difficult?
47) What specifically do you do to set an example for your staff?
48) Would you rather write a report or give a verbal report? Why?
49) Do you make a lot of lists? How do you prioritize?
50) Is there anything I’ve neglected to ask you about yourself?
These questions are just a start. Bring your imagination, sharp ears and your own questions to the show.
Julia O’Connor — Speaker, Author, Consultant –is an expert in the psychology of the trade show environment. She is the author of The Trade Show Reader and president of Trade Show Training, inc., a sales training and marketing consultation firm.
