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| Follow Up Follow Through |
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Career
professionals speak out on this month's
topic:
Micki -
Employment Consultant
In your cover letter make sure you tell potential employers where
you can be reached, but don't wait for a call. Let them know you
will be calling to follow up if you don't hear from them in the few
days following receipt of your cover letter and resume. Remember to
always have a copy of your cover letter and resume in front of you.
Try to arrange for an interview, be polite, assertive and
confident!
Michelle Desmarais - Employment Consultant
As we all strive to stand out from the crowd in our job search
activities, why not consider writing thank you notes as a way to do
so? Writing thank you notes as part of a complete job search is
relatively new to most people but, for the folks that have tried
them, the results speak for themselves. Thank you notes not only
show you are conscientious, but that you really are interested in
working for their particular company and have taken extra time to
tell them. Thank you notes can be very versatile and could
potentially be given out after formal or informal meetings with
employers or network contacts. There are many ways to write thank
you notes, so be sure to do your homework or book into a job search
workshop for some hot tips.
Written by a former Career Centre Employment
Consultant
To ensure that the employer is supportive of the "follow-up", I
would suggest that the job seeker check this out with the employer
on their first visit. For example, the job seeker might say upon
leaving..."Would it be okay if I touch base with you again?"
Usually the employer agrees, and the job seeker can either state
when he/she will do so or might ask when this would be convenient
for them. For example, the job seeker might say they will be in
touch in one month's time or sooner if he/she thinks it would be
appropriate. Usually the employer will say what works for them or
they may even suggest a time for re-contact. For example, they may
know a position will be coming up in a couple of months and may
suggest the job seeker re-contact then. IMPORTANT: The job seeker
should keep track of when they have stated they will re-contact and
keep their word, making a special note of something observed or
discussed in the initial meeting. This can be great material to
open with in the follow-up call.
Hope this helps!
Sylvia - Employment Consultant
Some thoughts regarding how often to follow up with an
employer...
If you have met/talked to the employer, the best way to decide on
how often to follow up with an employer is to ask them! You do not
have to make this decision on your own. Most employers like to be
asked...it not only sends them the message that you recognize that
they are busy; it also shows them you care about their
time.
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When you make
your initial contact with an employer, before leaving, ask, "May I
contact you again to discuss the status of your hiring needs/see if
your needs have changed?" Use whatever words you are comfortable
with saying. Most employers will say yes. They appreciate interest
and initiative. Once you have their permission, do not stop there!
(You are on the verge of finding out the answer to your question!)
Continue by asking, "Would it be alright if I called you in 3
weeks?" Don't suggest a date more than a month down the road,
that's too long...employer needs can change in a minute! Nine out
of ten will say yes. If the timeframe does not meet their needs,
they will offer an alternative time frame (or you can). You now
know exactly when to call back/follow up in person because they
just told you! Not only that, you now have your in, your way to get
past the secretary, the next time you call or stop by. For example,
let's say an employer confirmed you could call 3 weeks from now.
You go home, make a note of the day to call, the name of the person
you will contact, the phone number, and make a note or two as to
what you discussed in your original meeting (so that you can refer
back to it). Then 3 weeks later you call and if the
receptionist/secretary asks who is calling, you can now respond
with, "Yes, it's _________ (your name) calling; I met with Mr.
Jones three weeks ago and he suggested that I call him back today."
You will get put through, no problem. (I've done this on numerous
occasions - it works fabulously and is a low stress way of
returning calls). If Mr. Jones is unavailable, rather than leave a
message, offer to call back. Ask the secretary when is a good time
to call. This gives you the opportunity to be ready when you speak
to the employer, rather than be caught off guard coming out of the
shower or during dinner, etc. Make sure you call back when you said
you would...this creates a further impression of your reliable,
dependable nature.
When you call back, be
prepared. Think ahead as to what you'll be saying. Write it down if
it helps you remember or feel less nervous. Re-introduce yourself.
You might catch the employer at a moment when he/she is working on
a project and your name may not readily be familiar to them. So
help them out. You want them to remember who you are. When they get
on the phone, re-introduce yourself. Say, "Hello, Mr. Jones, it's
___________ (your name) calling, we spoke/I met you three weeks ago
at your office. You kindly conducted an information interview with
me and answered some of my questions regarding the ___________
industry. At that time you suggested I call back in three weeks. I
wanted to let you know..." (Provide them with some new piece of
information. Perhaps you could mention you have conducted more
research in the field since then which has further confirmed your
interest in this line of work. Perhaps you completed a short-term
course since then and want to update him/her with that
information). Be sure to comment on your interest in working at
this organization and state why you are
interested.
Ask whether any new
positions have come up or are expected to come up in the future. I
know this can be challenging, but if you don't reiterate your
interest, someone else will! I have heard many employers talk about
a positive impression they had about a potential employee they
met...once. (And who then dropped out of sight, never to be heard
from again.) So many individuals miss out on an opportunity because
they never followed up. It's your job to keep employers updated and
aware that you are still interested.
If you
have yet to meet the employer you are interested in following up
with, you can ask their secretary for suggestions as to timeframes
for following up or decide on your own, but do follow up quite
quickly! The majority of clients I work with who obtain work (and
obtain work quickly) do so because they follow up regularly. I have
heard countless employers say, "I hired him/her because they kept
coming back...I thought someone with that much interest/enthusiasm
must really want to work here". |
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