Recently, I was speaking with a client and she was
having a bad day. She was deep into her job search but was frustrated by a lack
of feedback from employers for all the resumes she was sending out. As soon as
she started to reflect on this lack of communication I nodded my head in
understanding. I have been hearing these same comments and observing the same
frustrations since I began my career in Employment Services. Why is it that
employers do not seem to care to respond to applications coming in for their
different positions?
It is a great question and some believe that it has
an obvious answer, but more to the point how do we work through this problem.
In the end, you are job searching and this is just another hurdle in your
successful campaign to find that new job. So it really doesn’t matter what the
answer is does it?
How to move forward? What are the challenges?
The first biggest barrier is the job that
specifically says, do not email or call – you will be notified if you have been
chosen. There may not be much room for you to maneuver, but this can be where
your network of contacts can help, do you have somebody within the organization
that may let you know of the progress, if you do then use them to find out.
Please don’t feel that you are bothering or intruding on a friend in asking
them to help you out, asking the question will not burn any bridges. Another
option in this case is keep moving forward, continue to apply to the next job
lead you have and don’t sit and wait before moving forward.
If there is no comment about following up, then of
course, you should follow-up in a reasonable amount of time and ask things like
when will the next steps in the process begin, when you will be arranging
interviews, is there anything I can add to my application to help with your
decision? Keep the dialogue open and progressive, add to the information you
have sent in your application. But make sure you are addressing the correct
person with these questions. When you apply get the name and position of the
person making the hiring decisions, you don’t want the “gate keeper” answering
you – they’re told not to give you any information.
Furthermore, you can get beyond the lack of
communications by laying the ground work for an open dialogue with the employer
early in the application process. Use your job search as a networking
opportunity. If you present yourself in a professional manner, by email, phone
or face to face, before there is a job opening, and maintain contact with the
employer through your job search then when something comes up they may be more
open to letting you know the details as you go along.
The job search can be a frustrating experience
especially when not getting any feedback about your applications, but there are
ways to keep moving forward with your search. Keep the applications flowing,
don’t sit and wait to hearing back from your leads, get out and be busy in your
search. If given the opportunity let the employer know you’re interested in the
position and offer more reasons why they should be hiring you and finally use
every opening as a chance to network if this is the job for you maybe there is
another hidden around the next corner.
Good Luck!
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