Interview Questions: Career-Minded Readers want to know

The following were career-minded questions commented by many of our readers.  Hope the following questions and answers help…

1. I interviewed for numerous job listings and come across the no call approach with many employers. What is a good way to approach an employer and ask if the position has been filled? Also, what is the time frame before the phone call can be made? I found this site to be very helpful in my job search. Keep them coming.

Thanks for the questions; let’s tackle each separately:

A) An effective approach to ask an employer if a position has been filled has gone electronic!  With Internet and e-mail communication taking over, most employers prefer questions of this capacity to be done electronically as opposed to the phone.  Take the employers perspective for a moment, many do not want to be the bearer of uncomfortable news – an e-mail takes the person out of the equation.  Sounds rather cold in a way but is the reality of the world—perhaps this explains why so many applications are ignored to begin with?

For those wishing to call, oftentimes all you will receive is a voice message or a receptionist told not to direct calls to the hiring manager.  What one does not want to do is become a stalker… future (and many previous) posts will refer to additional interview blunders.

B) The proper time frame between sending in an application and making direct contact varies per circumstance (gee, this doesn’t help you in the least).  According to the top three career management associations in the US, it is recommended for the applicant to wait until the second day.  In other words, do not call and e-mail the same day of your submission.  You do not want to leave an impression of desperation and calling too soon can be construed as such.

2) How should I respond (and when) to an employer that has expressed interest in bringing me on but does not have a time frame for a potential start date? Maybe a better question is what does that really mean as far as my chances are concerned?

Your question, “how should you respond and when to an employer that has expressed interest in bringing me on but does not have a time frame for a potential start date?” seems to have become more and more common over the past few months.  This is also a tricky question where one answer does not fit all scenarios and sound judgment may be the best resolve.

Fasten your belt and let me give it a try: If an individual is given a verbal offer and acceptance, waiting in silence for more than three (3) business days is not generally acceptable. In most cases, once a verbal offer has been made, the request will go immediately to the human resources department to formalize any issues.  This process typically will be completed within one business day and a hard copy offer will be placed in the mail immediately thereafter. If you have not received any information within these initial three days, I recommend placing a call to your hiring executive or to the human resources representative directly.

Do not hound or panic, it is not uncommon for the paperwork process to take up to a week.  If, after a week silence continues, e-mail the individual you interviewed with and ask for a status update.  If silence continues, there is a possibility the position had been placed on hold and the position itself was left in the dark.  Again, the key is not to haunt the company with too many calls or e-mails… common sense is the best sense.

Regarding your chances of employment after a substantial amount of silence?  Unfortunately, the longer the wait, the chances of you being the candidate of choice diminishes.  Hate to be the bearer of such news but I am not here to sugar-coat answers.  Ending on a positive and personal note, upon seeking an adjunct instructor position, I submitted a request (years ago) in January and did not get the call to instruct until December (waiting 11 months is a long time but good things can, and often do, happen).  Moral of this personal note, don’t give up and always be prepared with a positive attitude and will succeed stance.

Thanks for the questions and good luck!

Danny Huffman, MA, CEIP, CPRW, CPCC, author, educator, and co-owner of Career Services International/Education Career Services, www.educationcs.com.  He may be reached directly at [email protected] or visit his Career Blog at www.educationcs.wordpress.com.