Author Topic: When is it appropriate to follow-up in these scenarios (job searching)?  (Read 2850 times)

sizzlinkola

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I'm in CA looking for a position in NYC. I’m going to be in NYC from May 3-4 and haven’t heard back from the two scenarios below. When is it appropriate to follow-up? If no response still, do I assume they’re not interested anymore?

First Scenario

I cold e-mailed the CEO of a start-up company and he said that they’ll consider me once they obtain Series B funding in 9-12 months. I replied with some persistence by stating how I could help in the immediate term to fulfill their upcoming milestones. He replied that he will “get back to me.” This was 3/31 and I haven’t heard back.

I sent a follow-up e-mail on 4/10 by giving him suggestions on the challenges they had with their product (which was publicly available info) to highlight my interest and experience. I also told him when I’ll be in NYC.

Second Scenario

A colleague introduced me to his contact at a small company (<10 people) as she expressed interest in my experience. However, there was no job posting or anything. She said she’ll review my resume and "get back to me ASAP." This was last Monday and I haven’t heard back yet. I also told her when I’ll be in NYC.

2Cent

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You could call them, but don't get your hopes up. Hiring a new person is a big deal for a small company. Even if they could really use you they have to be very careful with their budget. Unless you're bringing in revenue right away, they will have to ask their financiers for more budget which is quite hard usually.

jlcnuke

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First Scenario

They said they'd get back to you in 9-12 months, i.e. they have nothing for you know but might be interested much later. You ignored that once already and "bothered" them again (regardless of how generous you thought your follow-on contact was, it was uninvited and I'm really hoping that by "with some persistence" you don't mean you repeatedly contacted them afterwards). At this point, contacting them before next April would, imo, result in them never wanting to hire you (for blatantly ignoring what they said at first and then not paying attention to them letting you know they'll "get back to you"; which is clearly not a request for you to keep hounding them long before the timeline they originally mentioned to you).

Second scenario

As it's a friend, I'd follow up gently this week or next to ask, in a casual manner where things are at; i.e. "hey, just wanted to touch base with you and see if you had a chance to look at my resume to see if I'd be a good fit at your company? with no expectations at all.

sokoloff

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+1 on what jlc said.

Startup CEO of a Series A company is (and ought to be) focused on making progress on what they need to close their Series B round. Yet another contact from a (self-described) persistent candidate would be unwelcome.

Sibley

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Seems relevant:
http://www.askamanager.org/

Entertaining and educational all at once.

pk_aeryn

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Neither of these companies have any open jobs- you've already probably pushed too much. If they DO end up opening more they may remember you as "that guy that had a good resume but was super annoying so we don't want to work with him"

chickinyow

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For the 1st situation, my gut says you've already done too much and probably annoyed them. As far as the 2nd situation it doesn't sound like there is even a job?

I would broaden my search by a lot, and I also wouldn't be trying for start-ups if I were moving myself clear across the country. Find an established company.

sizzlinkola

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For the 1st situation, my gut says you've already done too much and probably annoyed them. As far as the 2nd situation it doesn't sound like there is even a job?

I would broaden my search by a lot, and I also wouldn't be trying for start-ups if I were moving myself clear across the country. Find an established company.

Neither of these companies have any open jobs- you've already probably pushed too much. If they DO end up opening more they may remember you as "that guy that had a good resume but was super annoying so we don't want to work with him"

I disagree. I landed one of my jobs by simply asking. They didn't have any openings at the time but they looked at my resume and made a position for me. Sure, this may be a one-off experience but if I never asked, I probably would have never been considered.

pk_aeryn

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Quote
I disagree. I landed one of my jobs by simply asking. They didn't have any openings at the time but they looked at my resume and made a position for me. Sure, this may be a one-off experience but if I never asked, I probably would have never been considered.

May I ask what your field is and if you have a truly exceptional and rare work experience?  The vast majority of companies now operate under strict budgets and overwork their existing employees.  Virtually no company is going to create a job out of thin air just because someone asks them for a job no matter what their experience is.

And when you did ask, did you bug them relentlessly? Or were you polite and let them figure it out in their own time without constant contact?

sokoloff

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May I ask what your field is and if you have a truly exceptional and rare work experience?  The vast majority of companies now operate under strict budgets and overwork their existing employees.  Virtually no company is going to create a job out of thin air just because someone asks them for a job no matter what their experience is.
I'm in technology and I would absolutely hire an exceptional candidate who happened to come across my path while I didn't have a budgeted opening. Reaching passive job seekers or opportunistic exceptional hires is the difference between hiring exceptional talent only through networking and having an additional vector.

Now, tech happens to be a field where high profitability (x)or high amounts of venture capital are available and finding a candidate would would be 3x to 10x as valuable as the average competent industry worker is common (and desirable).

That aside, if you asked me twice and I haven't gotten back to you, a third time in rapid succession is unlikely to make any kind of positive difference.

Telecaster

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Re: When is it appropriate to follow-up in these scenarios (job searching)?
« Reply #10 on: April 29, 2018, 04:19:38 PM »
Neither of these companies have any open jobs- you've already probably pushed too much. If they DO end up opening more they may remember you as "that guy that had a good resume but was super annoying so we don't want to work with him"

Strongly disagree.  First of all, of course you want to be polite and respectful of their time.  That said, many companies say they keep resumes on file for six or nine months or whatever.  That's a lie.  Unless you are a truly amazing candidate your resume goes straight in the garbage can after they look at it, and even then it still probably goes straight in the garbage can.  Truly amazing candidates don't look for jobs long.  So unless you are great they won't bother to try to look you up, and even then they probably won't,  knowing you've likely moved on.   If you are mediocre they'll definitely look for somebody better.  So if they have a job down the road they'll just put out another job post and see who applies.  The chances of them getting back to you in the future are approximately 0.0%.   I say "approximately" because it could happen, but in reality don't plan on it. 

There are two possible scenarios:  1)  They don't have any open jobs, which case following up costs exactly nothing.  What are they going to do?  Not give you a job?  They already are not giving you a job.   Or 2) They might have a job but aren't sure how to move forward, in which case following up demonstrates you are a person who follows up and by showing interest you are solving one of their problems.   Look at it this way:  As employer, do you want an employee who politely waits for things, or do you want that obsessive person who doesn't relent until the job is done?  The latter, of course.   You want to hire that obsessive freak who can't rest until they have explored every detail.  And again, what are they going to do?  Not give you a job?  They already are not giving you a job.  The reason why the old saying "the squeaky wheel gets the grease" is an old saying is because it is true.  You want grease?  You gotta squeak.  Again, you want to be polite and respectful of their time.  A quick email is fine.  I sometimes include a line to the jist of "Just touching base, re: XYZ.   No response necessary if things haven't changed."    About 99% of the time people respond when I tell them they don't have to.  Draw your own conclusions there. 

jlcnuke

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Re: When is it appropriate to follow-up in these scenarios (job searching)?
« Reply #11 on: April 29, 2018, 07:44:08 PM »
The fourth time someone bugs me about a job I didn't offer them, after I had told them I'd get back to them much later, not only do I not give them a job, I pass my displeasure at their absolutely unprofessional behavior to anyone else in the industry that mentions their name. In many industries, such a reputation can destroy careers.
Neither of these companies have any open jobs- you've already probably pushed too much. If they DO end up opening more they may remember you as "that guy that had a good resume but was super annoying so we don't want to work with him"

Strongly disagree.  First of all, of course you want to be polite and respectful of their time.  That said, many companies say they keep resumes on file for six or nine months or whatever.  That's a lie.  Unless you are a truly amazing candidate your resume goes straight in the garbage can after they look at it, and even then it still probably goes straight in the garbage can.  Truly amazing candidates don't look for jobs long.  So unless you are great they won't bother to try to look you up, and even then they probably won't,  knowing you've likely moved on.   If you are mediocre they'll definitely look for somebody better.  So if they have a job down the road they'll just put out another job post and see who applies.  The chances of them getting back to you in the future are approximately 0.0%.   I say "approximately" because it could happen, but in reality don't plan on it. 

There are two possible scenarios:  1)  They don't have any open jobs, which case following up costs exactly nothing.  What are they going to do?  Not give you a job?  They already are not giving you a job.   Or 2) They might have a job but aren't sure how to move forward, in which case following up demonstrates you are a person who follows up and by showing interest you are solving one of their problems.   Look at it this way:  As employer, do you want an employee who politely waits for things, or do you want that obsessive person who doesn't relent until the job is done?  The latter, of course.   You want to hire that obsessive freak who can't rest until they have explored every detail.  And again, what are they going to do?  Not give you a job?  They already are not giving you a job.  The reason why the old saying "the squeaky wheel gets the grease" is an old saying is because it is true.  You want grease?  You gotta squeak.  Again, you want to be polite and respectful of their time.  A quick email is fine.  I sometimes include a line to the jist of "Just touching base, re: XYZ.   No response necessary if things haven't changed."    About 99% of the time people respond when I tell them they don't have to.  Draw your own conclusions there.

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