Dear Work Coach,
I just found your blog and absolutely love it! You have a lot of great information and advice on your site. I have a question for you I am sure you get all of the time but I’m at a loss on what to do at this point.
I had an interview last Tuesday (18th) that I thought went really well. It lasted an hour and a half (someone had to knock on the hiring manager’s door to stop the interview for her next appointment). I really like the hiring manager and she seemed to like me. She said she was down to 5 candidates that she wanted to have interviewed by the end of last week. She said she has been doing this a long time and I am definitely on the top of her list. The only concern she had was that I might be overqualified for the position but she wasn’t sure. She mentioned that could be to her advantage as I would be able to help her execute some strategic programs she wants to implement. She said she wanted to have me come back next week (which is this week) for 30 – 45 minutes to get a feel for the position, kind of a “day in the life of” this management position. She also said that the next step after that would to bring the top 2 candidates back for an interview with her team.
I followed up with an email thank you letter the next day, reiterating my enthusiasm for the position and why I think it would be challenging given the region and the change in industry.
I never heard back from her, no response to my emails. Late Monday afternoon I left her a message on her voice mail. I wasn’t pushy, just said that I wanted to follow-up with her to discuss setting up a time to come back (like we discussed). That was 2 days ago and I still haven’t heard anything. It seems really odd to me. Do you have any thoughts or advice?
Thanks,
Anne
***
Hi Anne!
Thanks for the kind words. And even though I get lots of question about interviews, each one has its own interesting twist. Like yours.
It really does sound like you have done everything well. Great interview. Good follow up. Able to field the “too qualified” comment with a good comeback. Although I wish I had a way of figuring out what they are thinking, truth is…it could be lots of things. Maybe she or someone else critical to the process is sick. Maybe an emergency came up. Maybe they haven’t been able to finish the five interviews yet. Maybe they found someone they made an offer to despite what was said – if a perfect fit walked in the door after she met with you, it just could have changed their plans. Maybe they just can’t get past all your experience despite how well you handled your answer – niggling doubts sometimes grow when fed by the input of others. But maybe it is as simple as they just haven’t gotten around to it yet.
It’s only been a week and time feels very different on the employer end. (It’s like dog years!) I like that you are an action person looking to help yourself, but at this point you really have done all you can and now it’s time to just wait. I know it’s hard – and I’m sorry about that. Do what you can to keep busy with other things. If it’s the right job, you will get it. If not, then you might very well have lucked out for reasons you will never know!
I wish you much luck, Anne. Please let us know what happens.
Ronnie Ann
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Stuck in the Waiting Game After 2nd Interview
Hi Darren!
Thanks for the GREAT advice. So nice of you to write and to share this with others. I love the idea of you helping to create the process. When I get a sec, I’d like to put this into a post all on its own. Please let me know if you want more credit than just “Darren”.
Fingers, eyes and legs crossed for you.
This sounds so hopeful and you’ve handled it sooo well. PLEASE let us know what happens!
Ronnie Ann
Hi again!
Well, I finally made contact on my follow-up call, and received a refreshingly concise and honest response…..It is down to myself and 2 other candidates, those other two candidates are due in for interviews today, and everyone that I have met with so far needs to sit down next week and make a decision. It still seemed very positive and pleasant, and we did agree to a followup date of next Friday, but I have NO idea how on earth I’m going to hold out for another week – I’m driving my poor family crazy as it is!
On the positive side, I’m very pleased that she was comfortable enough to be straightforward about the curcumstances, and the fact they wanted me in for an interview first thing on Monday while they’re bringing the other two in on Friday seems to indicate to me that I could be the frontrunner.
This has got to be the most arduous lesson in patience I have ever had to learn. I guess all I can do it tough it out…..Now where’s that Magic 8-Ball?
)
Hi Darren!
I also love that she was so upfront with you. Things look good. Oh man…now I’m sounding like a Magic 8 Ball!
While there’s no guarantee of course, it does sound like you are someone they like a lot. Meanwhile, maybe see if you can do something to keep yourself occupied. Write a Pultizer-Prize-winning short story, start a 1000-piece jig saw puzzle, create a new blog, learn to bake your favorite dessert or cook your favorite meal, sign up for a one-day class, organize a softball/football/basketball/frisbie mini-tournament, rent 10 of your favorite movies – anything you can think of to divert your mind!!!
I just want to tell you again how well I think you’ve handled all this. They will be lucky to get you. And of course, we want to know if they’re smart enough to make that offer.
Good luck!
Ronnie Ann
Darren,
I appreciate you writing in, because it’s 3 weeks and counting for me, and this is also a dream job situation for me as well! Patience truly is a virtue.
So then, it’s a good sign when you are scheduled first before the other candidates? In my initial phone interview, I was scheduled first out of 8 people, and in my second/face to face interview, I was scheduled first out of 2 people. Yep, it’s down to me and one other person, and I’m surprised I have any nerves left. I thought I killed them all with my anxiety!
Good luck to you,
Suzanne
Hahahaha! Hi Suzanne. Just imagine how much money we could make if we could bottle all that energy!
Although I have to tell you that first or second doesn’t always mean something, at times it might be a hint that you were first on their mind. But if anyone reading this isn’t first….believe me, I’ve hired plenty of people who were anywhere in the mix – even last.
Just you and one other person? Yes! Go git ‘em! Just be yourself and, in your mind’s eye, see them making the offer.
I wish you much luck!!
Ronnie Ann
I am feeling irritated, frustrated..blah blah blah..so hear me out…I am on the verge of quitting my current job (trouble with the salary) and am looking out for better opportunities. I went for an interview on the 3rd of this month. The interview was great, and the manager was pretty pleased with me. I was asked to come back again on 6th for a written test and was told that they will get in touch with me on friday. The HR gal called me on friday to ask for some additional information. I emailed the information to her friday morning and called her monday morning to confirm the reciept of the same. She was very happy and sweet and said she will call back by day end or next day morning. When I didnt hear from her till Tuesday evening i sent her a mail asking if a desciion has been reached. She replied with a we will get back to you by the weekened.. now what does that mean? i never had such a situation before so am confused..what should I do next? This a perfect job for me and i know i fit in perfectly..
Hi Phoenix!
First let me say how sorry I am that your current job isn’t giving you what you deserve. Glad you were able to find another job you really want and that so far you seem to be doing well in the interview process – except of course for the frustration, which I totally understand.
So glad you wrote to share this with us. Let’s see if I can help a little.
The fact that they’ve been good about the communication up to now (compared to many stories I hear) and are asking you to wait without telling you anything specific, means you are most likely still very much in the running. There could be one candidate ahead of you who they’ve made an offer to and are waiting to hear back from; but it could also be as simple as they have another person or two they are still interviewing or waiting for test results from, or even that someone essential to the process is out of town or unavailable, These things are not uncommon, although it doesn’t make it any less annoying.
At this point, all you can do is reply politely to her last e-mail thanking her for her response and letting her know you are still very interested, look forward to hearing from her, etc. (I assume you did that already.) And then you just wait. They will most likely get back to you within the next week or so. These things take time for reasons we never get to know!
Good luck, Phoenix. I hope this comes through for you. Please let us know what happens!
Ronnie Ann
Hi and thanks..
well i didnt get the job.. feeling pretty darned upset about it…but the HR was good and informed me about it in good time…. well can tell u how insecure i am feeling
..this is the first time i have been rejcted in a job interview..guess i needed it.. sigh!!!
Hi Phoenix!
Awww! I’m so sorry you didn’t get it. At least, unlike many companies, they let you know. Not much consolation, I know – but you aren’t in limbo any more.
As for your first interview rejection…it’s actually a good thing to have that under your belt. From day one, I was good at interviewing and have gotten many exciting jobs in my lifetime. But I also got rejected. So what? A talented person like your who is good at follow-through and clearly interviews well, will get plenty of job offers. And seriously…if they didn’t think you were right for them, then they are NOT right for you. So it probably saved you a painful experience. (Other than the rejection, of course.)
Right out of grad school I interviewed with the Senior Vice President of a major New York bank. He asked me if I’d ever failed at anything. Cocky young thing that I was, I smiled and said “Not that I can think of.” And he told me “Too bad. It’s how we learn and grow. People who never experience failure have never risked enough.”
So congratulations on going for what you wanted and let this be the thing that spurs you on to get what you really want. That’s the real key to success. It’s not about any one job…it’s about how you handle each step of the journey.
I wish you much luck, Phoenix. I mean…look at what you call yourself. No stinkin’ rejection can keep you down!
Ronnie Ann
Hi Ronnie Ann,
I have a similar problem, with its own interesting twist. Like many of the previous posters, I have had multiple interviews (3!) with an employer that I would love to work for. After the 3rd interview, which was on a Tuesday, they told me that the hiring committee would be getting together to make a decision that Thursday. I felt like everything went very well. Well, on that Thursday morning, the head manager of the company passed away suddenly! Understandably, the committee decided not to meet that day, but let me know, through my recruiter, that they would meet the following Thursday. Well that was 3 weeks ago and they haven’t met yet. My recruiter doesn’t want to be too pushy under the circumstances, and doesn’t want to make me seem to desperate (which I feel I am!), but I need to know! I am considering writing a note directly to the hiring manager myself just reiterating my interest in the position. Do you think that is too pushy under the circumstances? I know they are probably in turmoil since the head manager is gone and they have to pick up the pieces. Also, since I have been dealing with them through a recruiter, is it wrong for me to now contact them directly? After the interviews I did send each person a thank you note directly, but this seems different somehow. Any thoughts? Thanks so much.
Ann
Hi Ann!
First let me say how sorry I am for these sad circumstances – and for the uncomfortable situation this puts you in.
I’m glad you wrote. Because you don’t know all the details and because the recruiter has a relationship with the company, in this case I don’t think you should try to go around it. The thank you notes were one thing, but this is stepping into areas that might actually hurt you if for any reason you offend someone – including your recruiter.
It would be perfectly fine to contact your recruiter and ask if a short note would be ok. Something very simple expressing that you’re sorry for what they’re going through and that you just want them to know you remain interested whenever they are ready to continue. But again…not without your recruiter’s knowledge and OK. S/he wants you hired almost as much as you do.
Please try to be patient if your recruiter asks you to just hold off and let her/him handle it. I can think of many reasons why your attempt to push yourself along might not sit well. With the death of someone in that position, many things are being looked at right now. Your candidacy , while so critical to you, is just one thing.
If you are in a tough situation, I wish you luck getting through it. And I do hope you’ll hear from the company as soon as they can get back to business under these sad circumstances that may even be causing shifts in the organization.
Although I wish I had more to offer, patience and positive thinking are your best allies right now. I wish you much luck, Ann!
Ronnie Ann
I had an interview with a company regarding their inside sales position. Interview went very well. The President of the company was ready to make me an offer right after the interview but the Dir of Ops said they had to discuss the package. This is a new position for them. I sent the follow up, thank you letter to the three people that was in the interview. The Dir of Ops responded back and said they wanted some time to put together their offer and will get back to me by early week. Its mid week. Do I sit back with them or do I put in a call to follow up? Also, if they ask me again what type of salary I am looking for, how do I know not to price myself out of their range? Thank you for your response.
Hi Ray!
If the interview went as well as it seems to have gone, they haven’t forgotten you.
Wait until next week before calling. These background process things take time. You’ve done all you can at the moment.
As for salary…it sounds like they’re coming up with a package that will include a salary offer. But if you go to salary.com, you can see in general what you’re worth in this market. It will help you negotiate. Remember of course, that other elements of a package can balance out a lower offer, or vice versa.
Good luck. Please let us know what happens!
Ronnie Ann
First off, all your advice to others has really helped Here’s my story…
So I had 2 phone interviews with a really great out of town company…the 1st one was with the HR manager the 2nd was with the guy who would actually be my boss…one day later the HR manager contacted me and said they would like me to come in for an in-person interview. Prior to the interview I filled out papers allowing them to conduct a background check that I turned in the day of my interview. I traveled there last Thursday and met with 4 different people. They went over benefits, salary, (one even started looking up apartments for me to live in!). The 3rd guy I met said “I usually don’t send people I interview to the 4th guy I met unless I really like them”. It went so well with all 4 of the staff members I talked to. The guy who would be my boss showed me around the whole company and even where I would be sitting to work if I got the job!They also told me they never consider out of state applicants but that they were really impressed with my skills and experience. The day after I sent thank you emails to all of the people I interviewd with.
Needless to say, I have yet to hear from them since Thursday the 7th. The HR Manager does’t work on fridays or wednesdays…but I thought she would at least contact me Mon or Tues considering she is out of office Wed. Do you think I should have heard something by now or am I being too impatient? How long does a typical background check take?
Any insight or advice would be greatly appreciated!
Oh Marissa! This sounds like it went REALLY well. I’m excited for you. Of course, there are no guarantees until you have the offer in hand.
I can totally understand your impatience, but these things take a while – even when they like you. Background checks can sometimes take a week or more, and then there are internal processes to go through and various people who have to sign off on things like title, salary, etc.
So please let yourself breathe (in and out) and just wait it out. You should probably hear by the end of next week, but if not a polite call or e-mail is perfectly fine. In the meantime, find ways to keep your mind busy – a great book, rent a bunch of movies, do a hard jig-saw puzzle, take up knitting, solve the energy crisis, etc.
Hope to hear some good news soon from you. Please let us know what happens! Good luck!!
Ronnie Ann
Hi Ronne Ann!
I am so grateful for your website. It is so helpful. I have a question about an interview process I am going through. I interviewed for a position 2 weeks ago today. It went really well and lasted a little over 3 hours. I emailed everyone I spoke to and thanked them for their time. Everyone of them emailed me back and said they would contact me shortly.
Well one week went by and I still hadnt heard anything. I emailed the third party recruiter who found me and asked what the status was. She contacted them and they wondered if I would consider perm instead of contract. And if so submit my salary requests. I did all of that with the recruiter and still have not heard back. I then emailed the actual employer on friday to ‘check in’ and see if they had any questions for me. The person I emailed (who would be my direct boss) never email me back.
I am on pins and needles. I really want to know if I should email him again? What do you think? I emailed the recruiter today and she said they still hadnt heard anything!
HELP!
Thank you for your time =)
The hiring process is fraught with Murphy’s Law. The outside recruiter never knows the whole story, the candidate will know even less. Things most always take much longer than they should, especially for the anxious job-seeker. You should email the outside recruiter the most, he/she would love it if their client wants to hire you, that’s the only way they make money. That is their job, making placements, not getting people jobs, but filling job openings. They are working on many other openings and situations similar to the one with you. Don’t email your potential boss too often. Maybe once every two or 3 weeks after the initial thank you note. These follow-ups should be affirmations about how you are still very interested and would be happy to come back and meet more people if they would like you too. Don’t ask them what is taking so long or when will they make a decision. In the meantime, do what the recruiters are doing: looking for other job openings and continuing to build and develop your network. And trying to get more interviews. Keep planting seeds. Never stop actively looking for a job until you have accepted one. At least once a week send the Headhunter an email reminding them yo are still very interested. That will often get them focused on getting the latest update from the company, it will at least remind them that you are still very interested. Getting a job is a job! The harder you work the luckier you will get. You WILL get another job, you will. Keep believing it!
Nice advice, USpace. Thanks for sharing your encouraging words with all readers.
Sarah: USPace is right. There is a time for action and a time to wait. You’ve done all you can right now and it could actually hurt your chances to keep bugging them. These things take time for many reasons.
The good sign was that they were interested in you for a permanent position rather than contract. That shows you really impressed them. Now they may need time to get sign-offs internally and also negotiate with the recruiting agency. That can take weeks. Hopefully less, of course.
Meanwhile, look for other things to focus on. Find a fun project that will take your mind off this. And no harm in continuing to look for jobs. You never know! You’ve done your best. Now your best would be to learn to be patient with things you can’t do anything more about.
I have my fingers crossed for you, Sarah. Please let us know how it goes. Hoping for good news soon!
Ronnie Ann
Thank you USpace and Ronnie Anne! I will definitely let you know!
Thanks, Sarah. We’re all rooting for you!
Ronnie Ann