Author Topic: Applied for a job and no response - do I follow-up?  (Read 2975 times)

Ceridwen

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Applied for a job and no response - do I follow-up?
« on: March 31, 2016, 07:34:17 AM »
I applied for an amazing job on March 12, and the application deadline was March 14.  I'm an extremely well-qualified candidate for the position.  I literally tick all of the boxes.  The job posting says that "only applicants selected for an interview will be contacted" ie: please don't contact us about the job.

Would it be terrible of me to contact them? Has it not been long enough? If I do reach out, how would you recommend doing it?


Tom Bri

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Re: Applied for a job and no response - do I follow-up?
« Reply #1 on: March 31, 2016, 07:56:31 AM »
Three weeks is long enough. I would call. What is to lose? They are not going to kick your app out just because of a call, and you get to stop worrying either way it goes.
My wife is in this boat too, right now, an interesting job that she was encouraged to apply for by one of the execs, and then no reply. She is afraid to seem to pushy...but most companies LIKE pushy people.

Chranstronaut

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Re: Applied for a job and no response - do I follow-up?
« Reply #2 on: March 31, 2016, 08:40:50 AM »
I've spent multiple months with no word from companies before.  I suppose it depends on how big the company is, if they have to work with multiple departments to coordinate the interview and what is normal for your industry.

For me, I would be sad, but wouldn't think to contact anyone until a month had passed.

I agree that most companies probably wouldn't think it rude to call.  I spent 3 months waiting for a call for an interview.  I took that job and later found out that the hiring manager's mom was sick and died and it caused a lot of delay.  I didn't feel so impatient after that.

I work in engineering for reference.

AZDude

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Re: Applied for a job and no response - do I follow-up?
« Reply #3 on: March 31, 2016, 08:49:06 AM »
The hardest part is finding someone to contact. Do you have the hiring manager's contact info? Is there a status page on their HR site? This varies by organization. Bigger the company, the harder it is to get a hold of someone who will care that you are calling.

Ceridwen

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Re: Applied for a job and no response - do I follow-up?
« Reply #4 on: March 31, 2016, 09:03:22 AM »
It's a small non-profit organization.  Only 7 staff members total.

tipster350

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Re: Applied for a job and no response - do I follow-up?
« Reply #5 on: March 31, 2016, 09:31:03 AM »
Yes, follow up. Be polite, let them know you are checking in and are interested. I don't see a down side to following up as long as you are polite and not demanding, in your situation.

jda1984

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Re: Applied for a job and no response - do I follow-up?
« Reply #6 on: March 31, 2016, 09:49:50 AM »
I interview people occasionally for my company.  I'm not in HR, but am a lead in one of the departments.  We sometimes get semi-unsolicited resumes (we have a couple postings up on our website as we don't want to miss out on good candidates if they check our site and don't see a posting.  We're in a relatively small market and are a small company).  In these cases, we wait a week or two and if we don't get a call, we won't follow-up with them.  If they can't be troubled to be pro-active when their interests are at stake can we trust them to be pro-active when the company's interests are at stake?

I second getting the hiring manager's contact info.  Maybe it's hard to get the right person, but being a 7 person company it seems like just calling someone will result in you being transferred to the right person.

AZDude

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Re: Applied for a job and no response - do I follow-up?
« Reply #7 on: March 31, 2016, 09:50:44 AM »
Agreed. A very soft follow-up call would be fine.