The Follow-Up Call?

[Sarita12385]

Greetings all

 

Here's the deal -

I applied for a job in my city for a company that's been known to be outstanding when it comes to treating the empoyees well, has excellent benefits, and the position I applied for - I think I'm perfect for the job, and I don't mean for that to sound stuck up, but I just want this job so very badly.

 

I submitted my resume to them for the position, but I've read it helps candidates stand out by following up with a phone call to the hiring manager of that particular department.

 

Never tried that one before. What do you even SAY during a phone call like that?

 

Thank you all in advance!

[MixMinus]

Hi Sarita, A follow up is mandatory if you want the gig. Here's an example.

 

Hi Joe Blow this is Sarita, I sent you a resume last week in regards to the Marketing Manager position. If you have the time and interest, I’d like to explore your needs, get a feel for your goals and talk about how those dynamics relate to my background and qualifications.

 

If you have an opening in your schedule, I can come by Friday afternoon if that works for you?

 

If he says yes then you have a job interview. If not, go on to talk about some of your strengths and how they pertain to specific areas of that job.

 

(If Answering Machine)

You can reach me on my cell at xxx-xxx-xxxx. That number is also listed on my resume. Thank you for your time, and I’ll look forward to your call.

 

Good luck!

[Walk]

I've never called a hiring manager like how you're talking about. But I will call the HR person, or secretary, of the company. Ask her if she did receive the resume. I keep it really short, polite, and friendly. Enough to leave a good impression, not enough to annoy her by taking up unnecessary time.

 

I did that with the company that hired me just recently. She passed my resume on to the hiring manager. She was the gate keeper of the resume pile, so getting past her to the hiring manager was a must.

 

Once she passed it on, my resume was strong enough to get me an interview.

 

After I had my interview, I went back to the secretary and thanked her for her help and time. (She was the one that led me to the rooms, went and fetched the hiring manager, etc. so I thanked her for that.)

[jen's mind]

These are both very good suggestions, but note the important difference between the two.

 

Calling the hiring manager is a bold move. Gutsy. Direct. Appropriate for a start-up or smaller company that has younger employees and less infrastructure. Managers do not have administrative assistants, and no one's even heard of a secretary.

 

Calling the HR person is a more conservative approach that would be more appropriate for a larger, more established corporation with older employees and a traditional infrastructure. The HR person probably has an assistant, and the CEO definitely has a secretary.

 

You certainly must make personal, direct contact with someone in the position of furthering your candidacy. You'll have to determine your approach based upon the type of company it is.

 

MixMinus provided a great script for the call I'll be making to the start-up I'm trying to get into!

[Sarita12385]

Thanks to all - excellent responses. I ended up wussing out and emailed the HR department, to which I DID receive a reply letting me know they received my resume. Should I do a 3rd? I never know where to draw the line. I don't want to seem desperate, but like I said in my original post, this job is something I've been praying to come across for years

[jen's mind]

Do you know who the hiring manager is? Start digging around on the internet for news articles, press releases, anything that gives some insight into who's who at the company.

 

If you really, really want the job, throw the rulebook out the window. Conservative doesn't cut it. You've got to take the all-out guerrilla approach. Don't be coy about it; TELL THEM that this is the job you've been dreaming of for years and that you can't wait to share the reasons in an interview.

 

Are you good on the phone? It's really important to be confident in your phone manner if you're going to come across effectively with this approach. I'm an ace on the phone, but I still do a bit of deep-breathing to calm me down and focus before I pick up the receiver and dial.

 

Smoothness is key. Write yourself a short script and practice. The phone call is what's going to get you in the door. As long as you're just an email, you're one click away from the trash.

 

You simply cannot wuss out. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. GO GET IT!

[MixMinus]

I'm in the broadcasting biz. I've worked for large companies and mom and pop's. In both cases, I've always found out who the hiring manager was, gotten by the secretary and at least left a message with the hiring manager. Jenn is right, gotta write a little script and practice. An email won't cut it. You want the Job? Pick up the phone. Deep breath, the manager is a cool person just like you and me.

[Sarita12385]

I think when the company asked me for my salary requirements, I high-balled it based on the responsibilities listed and my education, but I think my request may have been too high.

 

Just to give you an idea of the job description, it's for an assistant to the environmental affairs department and another "preferred skill" for this position is to be bilingual in English and Slavic which I am. So I thought "there aren't that many people in my city who probably have that type of language skills" (many of the over-seas cultures here are Indians and Syrians), so I really thought that skill would shine through. I am giving it til the end of the week. The only information available on their website as far as contact info goes is for the VP of the Environmental Affairs department. I'm not sure if that's too much of a higher power to reach out too. I don't want to over-do it. But nevertheless, I'll give HR a call on Monday.

[jen's mind]

I wouldn't worry about the salary you indicated. No good candidate has ever been eliminated from the running for putting down 20-30k more than what they're looking to pay. I think knowing what you're worth supports your candidacy. Clearly the dual language skill is a specialized and rare commodity; I'd expect your salary to reflect that.

 

If you've got a name for the VP of the department, there's no downside in contacting them. Call them up! The absolute worst case is that they won't have time to talk to you. In the best case, you have a great conversation in which you make a distinct impression and voila... you're at the top of the list.

 

In my experience, calling HR doesn't really advance your candidacy. HR folks take pride in being the gatekeepers. They rarely interface with people doing the actual work of the company and have a completely different mindset when it comes to hiring. I always try to circumnavigate HR whenever possible.

[High Plains Drifter]

I cain't really add to the advice, but if you want the job, then there's not enough people you can call and let them know.