After looking for a job for well over a year, John finally got a real live job offer – and accepted. As a true testament to endurance (and willingness to go with the flow), he had been interviewing for this particular job for about FOUR MONTHS! And he even had to do a stint as a consultant first before the owner of the company asked John to join the firm.
John has been a regular contributor to this blog’s comments forums on 5 Ways Interviewers Make Job Seekers REALLY Angry and Stuck in the Waiting Game After 2nd Interview. Now he would like to offer some hard-won advice to job seekers everywhere running their own job search obstacle courses.
Here’s what John wants you to know to help you not only survive what seems like a never-ending race, but stay in it long enough to emerge with a big job win!
- Don’t get down on yourself. You WILL get a job. It’s the uncertainty that can mess with your psyche. And being down on yourself comes across in interviews.
- Opportunities occur when you least expect them to. Be open. Look at jobs that might not even match your skill set exactly. (I only matched on 70% of the skills for this job.)
- Follow EVERY lead and talk to people. All kinds of people.You’d be surprised how many folks sincerely want to help. This is not the time to be shy.
- If you come up against an interviewer who does not have any interview skills, you might try what I did…initiate conversations as if the interviewer asked you a question. It is a bit unnerving when the interviewer talks less than Harpo Marx!
- At the end of the interview, ask about their process and time-frame and when you might be able to follow up. It’s not pushy – it’s professional.
- Always send a cover letter and resume. I actually had a CEO of a firm personally reach out to reject me as a candidate (my skill set wasn’t even close but I gave it a shot.) He told me because I was the only candidate to send a cover letter, had my skill set actually matched, I would have been a top candidate. (Cover letters can only do so much.
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- If you’re still waiting, please know there are often unavoidable and unpredictable internal processes that have nothing to do with you. In my case, pressing issues arose at the firm that required immediate attention. Hiring me (as smart a decision as it eventually was) had to take a lower priority.
- Interviewing can go on for weeks and weeks. I was the top candidate half-way through the process, but still all the other candidates had to be fully interviewed to reinforce that I was the correct choice. (You would do the same for example if you bought a car. You may love one car, but you will check out other cars and dealerships same thing with a candidate.)
- A small thing like the current economic crisis can also be a huge factor in hiring and decision-making delays. As important as it is to hire new folks, keeping the business afloat takes top priority – and that even means you may have to postpone a hire you really want to do now. Don’t give up…many times, the job gets resuscitated.
- Always send thank you notes and follow up with the person. You would be amazed how a note, email or phone call restarts the process. (Be careful with phones calls though…find out first how the person prefers you to follow up by asking politely. And of course – don’t overdo the follow up!)
- Follow up with strength and confidence – yet tactfully too. That is what helped me get this job. I kept the lines of communication open, but with the attitude of “I understand your process and time frames and are mindful of them.”
- If people don’t get back to you a lot of the time, it has nothing to do with you as a candidate. Schedules change, issues arise, decision makers are out of the office, etc. It’s a waste of your energy to focus on what THEY aren’t doing – focus on what YOU can do.
- Your situation creates a yo-yo of emotions. You are NOT alone in these feelings. Please know that.
- Set daily goals for yourself whether big or small. It does make you feel better about yourself.
- And most of all…never ever say Quit!
P.S. – During your job search, you will meet true professionals who, even if they reject you, show respect. Learn from them. Stay in touch with those you connect with. But also – and probably more importantly – learn from the unprofessional ones so that when roles are reversed and you’re the hiring manager, you will know how to act gracefully and professionally.
Well…that’s it. Hope that helps. Seriously, as hard as it gets along the way, it’s worth the wait.
Best of luck!
~ John and Ronnie Ann
A bunch of job search posts that might help
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7 Things NOT To Do in an Interview
18 Practical Tips to Help You Ace that Interview
The Single Most Important Thing in Any Job Interview
15 Things I Look for When I Interview People
10 Reasons You Didn’t Get the Job
How Do I Ace My Phone Interview?
Help! I Get Nervous When I Interview for a Job
What Should I Be Thinking During a Job Interview?
How To Tell If a Job Interview Went Well
After the Job Interview: Why Haven’t They Called Me Yet?
Stuck in the Waiting Game After 2nd Interview
12 Ways to Stay Sane After a Job Interview
I Got the Post-Interview Temporary OCD Blues
Can Weekly Follow-up Calls and Emails Help Get You the Job?
Will My Low Credit Score Ruin My Chances for a Job Offer?
5 Ways Interviewers Make Job Seekers REALLY Angry
7 Career Pros Talk Job Search 2.0
Job Search Question: What Month is Best for Job Search?
Job Search: The Simplest Job Networking Tip of All
10 Things I Look for When I Screen Resumes
7 Ways to Rev Up Your Recession Job Search
I had what I thought was a really good interview a few weeks back. I did not hear from the hiring manager so presumed that they filled the position with someone else; however, since it was a position I really thought fit me and where I thought I would really fit in well with the group I’d be working with, I decided to contact the hiring manager one last time. I sent an email to allow her to respond or not without pressure and lo and behold I actually heard from her yesterday!!! Apparently the position is not filled; they are narrowing down the candidates; she did feel I would fit in with the group and she asked me to sit tight for now. That could go either way obviously but I took it as positive and very much appreciated that she was responsive. Now we wait. We can just do the best we can and hope we get better each time we get to interview. A friend once told me “I don’t want to be a professional interviewee, I want a job.” We all echo those sentiments but as tough as it’s been for so many of us it certainly teaches us resilience.
Sandie
“Resilience”… I think Sandie brought up a very valid point. We all need to accept that the psychology of HR has changed. There no longer is a shortage of talent out there. In fact, there is an over abundance of talent out there we are all competing against. HR no longer cries for not being able to fill a position. This was the case when the economy was booming, jobs were being created left and right, and people were not looking for jobs. But this is not the case now. Realize it and accept it… the hiring process will get more frustrating; not less. And I suspect that this is a great way to eliminate impatient people among us who will show lack of patience, endurance, and professionalism. I assume some job applicants are unknowingly becoming a pest to HR with incessant emails and phone calls. People are people… you will only end up alienating and annoying them… not endearing yourself to them. Clearly, some of us are realizing that they cannot endure the torture and cannot go the distance. I also suspect that HR is becoming quite adept at becoming sadists as well. ;o) It is discouraging at times… no argument there. But you cannot turn into a crazy before HR’s and the company’s eyes either. Be confident, professional, and resilient… and keep yourself busy with the act of looking for jobs always.
Jonny: I love it. Going to have to use that in a post! “Interviews aren’t killing me here… WAITING is.” Too true.
And love what your friend said too Sandie “I don’t want to be a professional interviewee, I want a job.” Man how that nails it!
Great discussion. Thank you so much. I know it helps others to read what you said…not to mention how good it feels just to say these things “out loud”. Nice tips about not turning Looney Tunes. In the end, this is about you and what you deserve.
I wish you great luck finding jobs you love – or at least like a lot and pays the rent.
~ Ronnie Ann
I could use all of John’s tips — and the pick-me-ups. I’ve been laid off from a job I really enjoyed (and did well at) since January. While I’ve made it to the final interview stage for twelve gigs in that time, I’ve either been the bridesmaid for ten of those jobs; one job is currently on hold while the organization figures out a way to get a budget for two positions (instead of one), and another is on hold until a new hiring manager is put into place. Between coming in second place in most of these jobs and being in limbo for the rest, it’s just a drag on the psyche. (The process is also a reminder of why so many stay in jobs even if they despise their managers, their colleagues, even the work itself; job hunting sucks.)
I always have to keep in mind that I’ve been through this before for an 18-month spell, and that I’ve at least gotten to the final round for some of the jobs for which I’m applying. And that in each situation, there was probably someone who is applying for the same job who has gone through the same tiresome process for a longer time than I — and he or she may have been due for their “yes”. Doesn’t always make me feel better, but it keeps things in perspective.
It’s just nice to someone see their hard work of finding a job rewarded with one. Hopefully everyone else will see the same reward. Especially me.
Hi Mack!
Thanks for your comment. Really appreciate hearing from folks going through the hunt who seem to have stayed at least mostly sane.
And especially good (if good is the right word) that you have a model from your own life of the dry spell ending. Hope you get to be the bride SOON.
Fingers, arms, and eyes crossed for you to get the reward of finding a GREAT match. Best of luck!
Thanks, Ronnie Ann. It can be tough, especially on days when there is no activity (and this week, after weeks of interviews and calls, has been far too quiet for my taste). In fact, that’s when the job hunt takes a real toll on the psyche; as much as you don’t want bad news, you prefer to get some word on where you stand than none at all. But in reality, no news is better than bad news or news of stalled hiring processes because something could be happening that might be in your favor.
The uncertainty of the hiring process is one reason why I’ve long ago adopted an owner’s mentality. That is, instead of looking at this as the desperate attempt to get some company to hire me for a job, it is a chance to match up my talents, skills and ambitions to a firm that wants to partner with me for a time (and is deserving of them). In many ways, it is adaption to economic reality: No job is permanent; no employer is loyal (if this was ever the case); and you are merely a full-time equivalent whose talents are only as valuable to the firm as they fit into its mission, goals and financial condition.
This reality is as true for each of us as it is for the companies on the other side of the transaction: If an organization doesn’t provide you with what you desire for your life (from benefits to career success), then you shouldn’t stay with them. And if its hiring process is dysfunctional, you don’t want to work for it in the first place. A smooth hiring process isn’t indicative of how well an organization functions; but a dysfunctional hiring process is clearly a sign of worse to come. And in a couple of the bridesmaid situations, I can say I have dodged a couple of bullets (even if I would love to just have a job now).
Such a mindset isn’t comforting, especially when you need the check to pay the bills; but at least it is clearheaded and allows you to stop falling in love with every opening for which you apply. And while it doesn’t keep me from falling into occasional bouts of despair, I can at least keep my head above water. Or at least try.
Hi again Mack! Sorry for the delay. I’m on vacation but trying to keep up.
I loved your response. Hope it’s ok, but I think I’m going to use a some of it (with credit to you of course) for my post this week. You said so much better than I could. I hope some smart employer snaps you up soon…and I hope it’s a prefect match.
Good luck, Mack!
Thank you for this advice! I’ve been feeling really low lately because it’s hard to look for a RN job without exp. The nursing director said I “might start” within the week or so but it’s almost two weeks! I guess this is the “or so…” she’s talking about. It IS hard to keep my chin up, but knowing that there are people out there who share my struggles is somewhat comforting! Thank you and good luck to everyone!
The Work Coach Cafe Team