Dear Work Coach,
I am from Taiwan and found your website by google. My background is engineering, and I focus my job hunting on those positions in the high-tech industry. Currently I stuck in the waiting game after my 2nd interview. My situation is like this.
I went to the 2nd interview of a large high-tech company on April 17, and I wrote thank you note and follow-up letters after the interview to all the interviewer, but I did not hear anything from them over the past month. Therefore, I called HR last Monday for their decision.
She responded my job application is getting approval, but she does not know which candidate would be selected (It sounds weird). She assumed the approval process would be done by the end of last week and would give me call.
Until now, I still have not received her call. Is there still hope to get this job? I am very desperate for this job, cuz it is what I really want. Could you give me some opinions?
Thank many for your help.
VL
Taipei, Taiwan
***
Dear VL,
So glad you found my blog. Welcome. I love having guests from other parts of the world. I’ll try my best to help you.
There’s no way for me to know for sure what they are thinking, but as of this moment, there is still hope. Sometimes, after a second interview, companies need to run your application through a variety of processes before they can even consider an offer, and those processes can take a long time. It sounds like you are one of several candidates, but she gave you no clue as to whether you’re the number one choice as of this moment.
All you can do right now is wait and think positively. (It never hurts.) Even if you aren’t number one, the person who they offer it to may already have another job or may say no. So many possibilities. But without a crystal ball, I can only tell you…there is still a chance – even though it’s past the deadline she gave you.
I wish you much luck, VL, and hope you do get this job. But just in case you don’t, take that positive energy and don’t give up until you get the job you want!
Good luck! Please let us know what happens.
Ronnie Ann
Related Work Coach Cafe posts:
After the Job Interview: Why Haven’t They Called Me Yet?
Hi tyler!
Wow. I can well understand why you’re feeling the way you are. You were given green lights all the way along and seemed to be one of the top candidates, and now no one has even contacted you or answered an e-mail all this time? You have the patience of a saint.
Although on the surface it looks like they may have gone with someone else and not had the courtesy of informing you (this is shameful if true), there are also other possibilities such as emergency situations that delayed the decision or the economy leading to the position being put on hold. (Still, they should have let you know.) But before giving up, I would at least call the person I had the best rapport with, and, if they don’t take your call, try until you get someone. Better to find out now than to be left wondering.
Hope you get a good surprise. As unlikely as it may seem, you could still be in the running. But if you aren’t, hope you recognize how close you came and use that energy to set your mind on nailing the next one.
And don’t forget…a NO now could be the beginning of a YES next time. So if you didn’t get the job and still want to work there, then make sure you let them know you are still interested and will redouble your efforts to let them know you would be a great addition to their company! (Assuming you still want to work for folks who left you hanging, of course. Once you get the details, you can better weigh these factors. Who knows? You may even have lucked out!)
Please let us hear what happens, tyler. GOOD LUCK!
Ronnie Ann
Hi Sophie!
Sorry to be so late in getting back. Hard balancing my new consulting job with the blog. But although you are the last for me to get back to, you are definitely not the least!
I’m hoping that, for reasons we’ll never know (although it could be the pixie dust
), all this turns out to bring you to exactly the right job!
So, without further ado:
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Best of luck. I have a feeling something good is coming soon! Please let us know when it does.
Ronnie Ann
Good Morning Ronnie Ann…
thanks for your reccomendation and kind words….as a quick follow up to my original message: I followed your reccomendation and attempted to give both the HR director and the CEO phone calls, and like I anticipated the calls went directly to voicemail and have not heard anything back…..interesting enough the job is still posted on their web site, so I am thinking it is a safe assumption that I was not selected….
I just am finding it hard to believe that after 20+ of interviews that I simply wouldn’t hear anything back at all….maybe I should look at it as a good omen in some way, would I really want to work for a company that had values like that?….thank goodness I am currently employed with a company that I have been with for 10+ years I guess…
Any final thoughts/reccomendations on next steps, or have you witnessed situations like this where the canidate just simply never hears anything back?
Hello Ronnie Ann,
I am waiting patiently after a good telephone interview with an internal recruiter. At the end of the interview, I was told that I would get a call from the hiring manager. That was a week ago.
My question is if it would be okay to call the hiring manager directly? Or should I only followup with the recruiter?
Hi tyler!
Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. My own work issues got in the way.
I never cease to be astounded when I hear stories like yours. And, while it isn’t standard, it does happen. Of course, I can’t tell whether you really got eliminated or they are just doing that corporate secrecy thing where they say nothing until they all agree on the answer. Either way…I’m not thrilled with this kind of behavior from a hiring company. And unless there’s a really good explanation, I’d think twice about working for them.
Still…while I wouldn’t count on this job by any stretch, I would stay open to hearing their explanation if there is one. Just in case. But in the meantime, you did all you could and you might as well let it go and move on.
Thankfully you have a job. Any chance you can take this new-job energy and try to create a new job opportunity for yourself there? Sometimes what doesn’t seem obvious at first shows up when you have a new perspective. Just a thought.
I wish you MUCH luck. Sure wish I had some magic potion to get employers to do the right thing!
Please stay in touch.
Ronnie Ann
Hi Lowell!
First, congratulations on a good phone interview. Hope it turns into a good job!
I’ve given your question some thought. Part of me said “Why not go ahead and call him or her?” But then I remembered some places where that would have left a bad impression, despite the initiative it shows.
A week isn’t that long. Sometimes the phone interview phase takes a few weeks all on its own. And then they have to decide whom to call back, which can involve more time getting everyone to clear their schedules to do that. So the fact that you haven’t heard back yet is no indication of anything.
I think I’d wait until next week, and, if you haven’t heard anything by then, call the internal recruiter. It’s better office politics. Now if you can’t reach/ don’t hear back from the recruiter, then you could very politely and “naively” contact the hiring manager. You could say you haven’t heard back yet from the phone interview and aren’t sure if you were supposed to contact her/him but if so, want to let her/him know how interested you are in the company and to please let you know if there’s anything more you need to do right now. Might help and couldn’t hurt.
Good luck. Please let us know what happens, ok?
Ronnie Ann
Ronnie Ann,
Thanks for the advice. I have since had another telephone interview and now have a face to face scheduled for this Friday. It’s looking good – thanks for helping me to learn patience!
Hi Lowell!
Congrats on the face-to-face! Patience gets easier the more you practice it. But your instinct to take responsibility for your own fate and ACT is also a very good one. Finding the balance is an art!
Good luck. Please let us know how it turns out.
Ronnie Ann
I had an interview on 10/28 for a data management consultant position. I met with the director of the department. We had a great interview and I gave several samples of my work. She seemed to be impressed by my skills set. But it has been 3 weeks and no word on a decision. I did send a thank you and follow up email, but no response. I did find out from a HR assistant who worked for me in the past that she put in a good word for me with the director. She also said that they completed the reference and background check. Can anyone help me get a read on this? I am not putting all my eggs in this job. I am still out there interviewing other positions.
Hi Paul!
Sounds like you’ve done all the right things so far – including continuing to interview. Smart! Having worked for an IT area in a large organization for many years, I can tell you these things often take more time than either the applicant or hiring department would like.
Although I can’t speak for the company in question, where I work, even after all the reference/background checks have been done, there are still areas that need to sign off on the decision. But if someone is out sick or on vacation, an offer can be delayed. Or, if this is part of a project and they are trying to get a few other hires lined up, that can also enter into the picture.
The fact that they actually did the reference/background checks certainly looks good for you. We usually only do that for the finalist, although some places may do it for more people. Of course, there may have been something in the background check or they may have made an offer to someone else and are waiting to hear back, but my guess is you are still very much in the running.
You’ve been wonderfully patient, and, at this point, it would be fine for you to simply call the person and ask your status as politely as possible. This is totally acceptable.
Good luck Paul! Hope you get the job. Please let us know.
Ronnie Ann
Hello –
So, this seems to be the place for anxious souls such a myself, awaiting news of an offer, so here goes:
I apparently sent out a resume in the spring (of which I have no recollection) for an attorney position at a small satellite office of a national firm. I was contacted by the HR guy at the end of September for an interview at the main office. Seems that the sattellite office had recently opened 2 weeks before my resume landed on their desk. The interview about a week later at the main office I thought I bombed; I was terribly nervous because this firm is awesome and I can foresee big things in working there (I met with the HR guy, an associate and the managing partner, who I believe does the hiring). Lo and behold, I get an email 2 days later from the HR guy, inviting me to a second interview at the satellite office (I was also asked for a writing sample). This time, about a week later, I met with 2 other associates and the HR guy again, and I thought the interview went very well. The HR guy even walked me through the office to show me the view of the river from the office windows. Also, during my second interview, the HR guy tells the associates the managing partner made it a point to hold my resume for months until they were ready to hire for the satellite office. I’m thinking this is all good, right? This occurred about mid-Octoberish.
I heard not a peep from the firm. It is not uncommon for law firms to not send rejection letters or otherwise contact a candidate (which I think is terribly rude), so I had written them off emotionally, until a friend advised me to call the HR guy to re-express my interest and check in (I, being a chicken and not wanting to piss off the guy, opted for an email). It’s Halloween by this point.
Nothing. Until, last Thursday, I get an email from the HR guys, saying he is sorry it has taken so long and he is waiting for to others to get back to him, and he wil contact me when he learns more…..who the others may be I have no clue, I thought I met all the decision-makers.
So now I feel a bit better, but still freaking a bit. This firm is exactly what I need to get my career out of a rut, not to mention it’s very prestigious and 10 minutes from my home. In other words, I’m sweating them really hard.
Any thoughts? I understand that 1) they seem to take they’re time with things and 2) the economy the way it is lately may give them extra pause to hiring right now. Any light you can shed would be appreciated.
Thanks!
Great site, by the way.
Dee
Update: I received an email today asking me to come into meet with several members of the team. I guess I am confused. The hiring manager said that she is currently conducting 2nd interviews, but the HR assistant told me that the position is between me and another candidate. Can someone give me some feedback?
Hi Dee!
Thanks for the kind words about my site. Much appreciated. Also glad it gives you a place to get out your understandable frustration!
Honestly, it sounds like you’re doing really well considering how process-challenged the firm seems to be. The fact that they saved your resume and all the good feedback tells me they are very serious about you. Yes…the economy is a potential landmine, but since you got good feedback as recently as last week, things still look hopeful.
Think of waiting time as something like dog years – each week for you feels like a day to them! Since you know how slow they are, my best advice is to mark 2 weeks from today on your calendar and, if you haven’t heard anything by then, CALL him. It’s totally ok. In fact, it often gets the wheels rolling.
And, if it feels right to you, you might want to send a simple card right away with a handwritten note to the same HR person thanking him for getting back to you and saying you look forward to hearing from him again, hopefully with positive news.
Other than that, you join the noble others in the waiting room. Hopefully, not for much longer. You’ve certainly paid your waiting dues!
Best of luck, Dee. I have my fingers crossed for you.
Ronnie Ann
Hi Paul!
Nice news. This is all good. Sometimes a company narrows it down to two people and then brings each one in again to see which one is the best fit. Since you’re meeting with team members, this makes total sense.
They’ll probably be looking at your technical skills as well as how you would be to work with. You want to be gracious and show you are a good listener as well as someone who can be trusted to handle assignments well. Think about the kinds of qualities and personality traits you’d want to see if you were hiring the person!
I wish you much luck. Please let us know how it goes.
Ronnie Ann
…wonderful advice; thank you so much. I will keep you posted!
What a wonderful blog! I am a successful professional that is very amibitious. I recently applied for a senior position in a national company and am waiting to hear back after going through 2 interviews and a corporate assessment. The hiring manager assured me he would contact me, but as previous people on this blog have said…I am starting to second guess myself and the questioning process that is taking place.
Is there anything I should do rather than just wait?
ray
Dee,
Thanks. I look forward to it. Best of luck!
Ronnie Ann
Hi Ray!
Tanks for the lovely words about my blog. And welcome to the waiting game.
In most cases like yours, you really don’t have to do anything more. For top positions (OK…most positions), they don’t forget. Especially after a candidate has reached the point where you are.
But…if you’re an action person (and it sounds like you are), it might be a good idea to give the hiring manager a call after you’ve waited a couple of weeks since the last contact. There could be some internal hang-ups – or things could be moving along nicely according to their normal processes.
But often a call can help get things moving even more nicely! At the very least, you can get a feel from what he tells you as to how serious they are about you.
Good luck! Hope you nail this job. Please let us know. We love to celebrate.
Ronnie Ann
Update: I had my 2nd interview on 11/20 with staff members. The interview lasted about 1 hr and interviewers asked me alot of question about my past expreiences. I gave them sample of my work. I even gave them the top 5 reasons why they should hire me. They love that alot. After the interview, the hiring manager asked me if I was still interested in the position. I told her that I wanted the position more than ever. We discussed my salary range. She asked if I looked at the benefits plan. She also told me that they checked my references and also received one internal refrerence on me. She said a decision would be made the following week because she has to finish up the remaining 2nd interviews. Her team really seemed like tthat they were impressed with my reporting/data skills. I am excited, but after reading some of the comments on your blog, I learn that I better bring myself back to earth because I still may not get the job.
Hi Paul!
Thank you SO much for the update. Sounds like you did GREAT!
I also don’t want to get your hopes up unreasonably, but I will say it sounds very hopeful. I love that you gave them the five reasons to hire you. That was a cool way to grab their attention and be remembered. The fact that they are impressed with your technical skills is a big plus.
It’s true…anything can still happen. You never know who the other interview(s) are with or who they know
, but I can assure you you’ve done the best you can and no one can do better than that.
Now you just have to figure out how to keep yourself sane until you hear their decision.
I have my fingers, legs and eyes crossed for you.
GOOD LUCK!
Ronnie Ann