You’ve given countless interviews over the last several months, sent in even more resumes to be reviewed, and still nothing! It’s easy to get discouraged when looking for that perfect internship or starter job to keep building on your career-related experience, but the search process becomes even more daunting (and, not to mention, confusing!) when you continue to apply and apply and never seem to receive an answer – whether it’s a yes or a no – as to whether or not the job is yours!
Sick of being confused after you’ve left an interview or turned in yet another application and resume and then the trail goes dark, without even a simple “Yes! We want you” or a “No thanks”? HC explores several reasons why your cell isn’t ringing or your inbox isn’t filling up with decisions from HR and hiring reps.
1. They don’t have the time to get back to everyone.
According to the Work Buzz, a site sponsored by the Internet Mecca of jobs Career Builder, employers can now receive 10 times the amount of resumes they did as recently as two or three years ago. One hiring manager quoted on the site says their company can get up to 75 resumes for one position! Seventy-five resumes then, would translate to 75 calls regarding whether or not the company wants to interview you or is considering you for the position that a hiring manager or HR rep then becomes responsible for making. If they’re not interested in having you interview for the position, chances are you may not hear back 100 percent of the time, especially if it’s a competitive job or internship. Even if you have one interview (or even a few!), you still may not hear back right away, or at all.
“This is an employer’s market,” says Alison Doyle, a job search expert for About.com. “Many companies don’t take the time to let applicants know their status after a job interview.”
Louis Gaglini, the associate director for employer relations at Boston College says some sort of acknowledgment when you send in a resume or interview with a company should be expected, however. It may be a form letter or an electronic confirmation of some sort, but letting you know that the company at least got your submitted application and resume is something you can look for. “That’s quite acceptable in today’s market,” says Gaglini.
Bottom line? Don’t expect a personal call, letter, or email every time you apply for something. It’s simply not realistic in today’s job market because everyone is crunched for time.
2. They don’t have the personnel to follow up.
This one feeds off of ideas from the last one. Departments often in charge of hiring employees often aren’t chock full of people waiting around to let you know how your interview went. Doyle explains that a shortage of hiring personnel or a slimmed-down hiring department often translates to fewer follow-ups with potential candidates for a position. “Hiring managers may not have the time to do more than let the candidates who are selected for a second interview know,” she says.
Ben Eubanks, an HR professional and blogger based out of Alabama agrees. “Honestly, as a recruiter/HR pro at a small company I am overwhelmed with applications,” he says. “If we interview someone on the phone or in person, they always receive a letter or email from me with a final determination. However, for those that apply on the website, I am not able to follow up personally with each one.”
If the company you’re interested in working for or interning with doesn’t have an HR department, finding new employees often falls into the hands of a staff member in the department that’s hiring, meaning they need to find someone new on top of everything else they’re already responsible for, meaning chances of hearing back about a position could be even slimmer.
3. Too much time passed between your interview and a final hiring decision.
Employers don’t always find their ideal candidate in the first round of interviews they conduct. A gap of time between your interview and a final decision when others might be interviewed could translate into trouble.
Sometimes in this gap, the needs or particular demands of the employer change. Someone comes in for a marketing position interview and brags about their awesome web design and blogging skills when all the company was looking for was Twitter and Facebook experience? These blogging and web design credentials could shift what an employer is looking for in a new hire based on what kinds of skills they now know are available and can be expected.
The needs of a company and the roles people in other departments play are constantly shifting and changing for most organizations as well, meaning a large chunk of time between your interview and a hiring decision could impact what you’ll be expected to do, and, unfortunately, can sometimes knock your resume or experience out the window.
Career coach Bud Bilanich explains, “The hiring process takes a long time. You may be the first of five, six or seven people interviewed for the job. These interviews can be spread out over a period of a couple of months. Schedules have to be coordinated, and this takes time. While you might be on pins and needles waiting to hear about the job, filling it is just one thing on a busy hiring manager’s to-do list.”
Doyle also weighs in about the effects of too much time passing between the two events. “The company may find a candidate they want to hire right away and as the hiring process stretches out earlier applicants may be forgotten or left out of the loop as time passes,” she states.
It never hurts to check in occasionally with an employer if you took an interview with them and it seemed to go well. Most experts across the board seem to recommend following up on a successful interview two weeks after you’ve spoken with your potential employer if you still haven’t heard anything.
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4. Your resume or interview didn’t stand out enough.
Even if you felt like your resume is full of killer experience and high-profile internships and work-related experience, it still may not be enough. According to AOL Jobs, a 2010 survey revealed that 38 percent of employers claim to spend less than a minute reviewing a resume, while 18 percent give it 30 seconds or less! “Submitting a resume puts you in a very large candidate pool,” says Gaglini. “An interview though, puts you in a very defined one.”
Reality is, us collegiettes are looking for jobs in what has become a super tough market! Get feedback from peers and resources on your campus on how to tweak it and polish things up if you’re sending out stacks of job applications and never seem to hear anything back. Gaglini says collegiettes should use their resume to show what they have to offer, and a cover letter to explain to employers what you can bring to the position that specifically matches what qualities or skills are listed in a job description. “Speak to what the company is looking for,” he says. For some instant bonus help, don’t forget to check out HC’s quick and easy resume fixes too.
Double-check your interview etiquette as well. Many employers cite common issues like being late, chewing gum during the interview, being underprepared and not knowing enough about the position and company you’re interviewing with as major no-no’s, many of which can irritate an employer to the point where they no longer feel obligated to contact you and let you know their decision. Her Campus also has a few pointers for how to remedy major interview disasters.
5. They’re waiting for you to contact them.
Just like most everything in life, sitting back and waiting around for that magic phone call or celebratory email won’t get you very far. There’s nothing wrong with being proactive when looking for a job. In fact, it’s even encouraged! Follow up with the interviewer right away with a thank you to whomever you interviewed with. Doyle agrees. “This is a difficult job market with many more candidates for jobs and internships than there are positions, so being proactive can help you get to the next step in the interview process,” she says. “I recommend following up with the employer shortly after your interview. Send a email or even a handwritten thank you note reiterating your interest in the job and thanking the hiring manager for the interview.” Need help getting started, or wondering what to include? Check out some tips for sending a thank-you here.
I’m still confused. What should I do exactly if I still haven’t heard back?
First things first: ask whoever it is you interviewed with when you can expect to hear back. Bilanich suggests, “You should always ask ‘Where are you in the hiring process?’ and ‘When do you expect to make a decision?’ when you interview. This might not reduce your stress, but it will give you an idea of how long the process will take.”
Second, do not forget to send that thank-you. Caryanne Keenan, the assistant director for Career Development at Ithaca College says, “We encourage students to follow up typically via email with employers after they apply for a job, and to send thank you notes to employers within 24 hours of an interview. If they don’t hear back after applying and following up, it’s probably because the company/organization received an abundance of applicants.”
What if you’ve interviewed with them though, and still haven’t heard one way or another if the job is yours or not? “If students interview, follow up, then don’t hear a response, that’s poor etiquette on the part of the employer,” says Keenan. “At that point I would recommend that the candidate contact human resources at the company to check on the status of his/her application as well as the position.” Bilanich also suggests sending an email to the appropriate person if you still haven’t heard back within two weeks just to check in and make sure your application hasn’t gotten buried at the bottom of a stack of resumes and cover letters.
Gaglini suggests that interested applicants who still haven’t heard back after an interview follow up 10-14 days after the interview. He stresses sending a polite and professional email or making a polite, professional phone call to remind the company you sent a resume and interviewed, and are curious as to what’s been decided or where they’re at in the hiring process. “This could prompt a response, either positive or negative,” he says. If you don’t hear back in 30 days, Gaglini suggests moving on to a different position.
Even if you don’t hear anything back, keep polishing your materials, looking for work experience in all shapes and forms, and networking to put yourself out there! “Network through friends, family, parents, whomever it may be,” says Gaglini.
Finding your dream job can be frustrating, especially when employers don’t feel the need to give you a yay or nay, even after what you feel was a killer application or an even better interview. “Navigating the process can be very challenging, daunting, and time consuming,” Gaglini describes.
No matter what, stay optimistic, keep building, editing, and polishing that resume, and keep putting yourself out there. All that hard work is bound to pay off in the form of a dream internship or first job sooner than you think!