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Waiting For the Official Job Offer
At the end of the third job interview, Helene was told by the hiring manager, "Congratulations, I am going to recommend you for the position. Expect a call from HR." Helene breathed a sigh of relief because her job search of six months was finally over. Helene went straight home and waited by the phone all day. The phone never rang. As the week drew to a close, Helene began to get nervous. She hadn't heard from HR. She wondered what had happened. She convinced herself that everything was fine, that the HR department must have been swamped. She wasn't exactly sure what would be more important than calling and welcoming her onboard, but she knew the HR department had a good reason. After all, Helene was the most qualified candidate; the hiring manager told her so. Days went by and still Helene heard nothing. Confused by the situation, she anxiously glanced through the Sunday morning classifieds wondering what had gone wrong. Unfortunately, this happens to many jobseekers. They are offered the position by the interviewer and they never hear from HR or it takes months before a firm offer is made. But there are steps that you can take as a jobseeker to minimize your risk of being strung along by an employer. An easy and often neglected step is to find out what comes next after each interview. Establishing the next step gives you some control over the hiring process, and helps avoid the guessing game. Make it a point to leave each interview with a clear understanding of what you are supposed to do and what the hiring manager is supposed to do. E-mail, fax, or snail mail a follow-up letter thanking the interviewer for the job offer and that you are looking forward to hearing from the HR department. Sending a note stresses to the interviewer what you heard and if there was any confusion on your part, compels the interviewer to contact you and address the misunderstanding. If you haven't heard from the employer in a timely fashion, call to reiterate your interest in the position. Here's an example of an effective follow-up call: "Thank you for your time and for a very informative interview last week. Based on our last discussion, you are seeking an Executive Assistant who can effectively serve as a corporate liaison, manage administrative affairs, and support organizational goals. After a series of interviews, you were enthusiastically going to recommend me for the position but I have yet to hear from the Human Resources department. The Widget Corporation is my #1 choice and I am very interested in joining your team. Unfortunately, I will be forced to consider other options if I don't receive an offer in writing by Friday at noon." By providing a timeline you create a sense of urgency and put the employer on notice that you are in demand. This may encourage them to move the process along. But only use this tactic if you really do have other options because setting a deadline that an employer is unable to meet could get you dropped from consideration. Although I recommend that you follow-up with a phone call, don't become a nuisance and call everyday. If you reach out to an employer several times without receiving a courtesy response, stop calling and move on. As frustrating as it may be, you must always remain professional. Keep in mind that, until you are officially hired, every conversation you have with the employer is part of the interview process. In conclusion, realize that a definite maybe does not qualify as a firm job offer. Therefore continue job searching until you receive an official offer. If an employer is interested in you, they will respect your time, return your phone calls, and make a concerted effort to keep you updated. Don't waste your time waiting by the phone. You deserve more than that. About The Author Recognized as a career expert, Linda Matias brings a wealth of experience to the career services field. She has been sought out for her knowledge of the employment market, outplacement, job search strategies, interview preparation, and resume writing, quoted a number of times in The Wall Street Journal, New York Newsday, Newsweek, and HR-esource.com. She is President of CareerStrides and the National Resume Writers' Association. Visit her website at www.careerstrides.com or email her at careerstrides@bigfoot.com.
MORE RESOURCES: Work At Chess.com Chess.com Report: community college students need more career guidance Inside Higher Ed Careers - Human Resources Kennesaw State University Will Artificial Intelligence Steal My Job? | On Careers | U.S. News U.S News & World Report Money Jobs and Training at FDA FDA.gov Careers Boys & Girls Clubs of America Workers eager to fill 3,000 Las Vegas jobs to build Brightline Fox 5 Las Vegas Careers at TWU | The Office of Human Resources | TWU Texas Woman's University Careers Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center Careers Micron Tesla mass layoffs impact Bay Area, with over 2,750 jobs lost San Francisco Chronicle Careers at FEMA FEMA Find a Job Samaritan Health Services Careers | Job Opportunities | MaineHealth MaineHealth Careers at Bucknell Bucknell University Curry College launches job guarantee program Inside Higher Ed Job Search Results - Careers at UnitedHealth Group UnitedHealth Group Career Paths FEMA Industry sells workers on ag jobs The Western Producer My career race is in the home stretch, here's what I know Financial Times Employment USC Upstate Green careers report: Understanding green jobs and their increasing demand The Economic Times Veterans and transitioning military | VA Careers VA.gov Home | Veterans Affairs Data indicates a strong job market but some employment seekers — even those with a Ph.D. — say they struggle Yahoo Finance Careers Smith College Grécourt Gate What Researchers Discovered When They Sent 80000 Fake Résumés to U.S. Jobs The New York Times Careers at NATO NATO HQ Apply for a Job The City of Vancouver, WA The Best Jobs in America in 2024 | Careers | U.S. News U.S News & World Report Money Despite lagging performance, California expected to avoid recession Los Angeles Times Careers at NADA | NADA NADA Blog Chesapeake Public Schools Employment Opportunities Chesapeake Public Schools Careers at USI University of Southern Indiana Careers Medline Newsroom Work for Us (U.S National Park Service Careers The Ocean Cleanup Careers at Air Liquide Air Liquide Careers | US Forest Service USDA Forest Service Careers in mental health services : Career Outlook: U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics Lawsuit claims Sheetz denied employment to class of job applicants because of their race WPXI Pittsburgh Careers Technip Energies Early careers UBS AI Will Transform the Global Economy. Let's Make Sure It Benefits Humanity. International Monetary Fund Careers CPKC Work Here UnitedHealth Group CoinGecko Careers: Careers at CoinGecko CoinGecko Careers with Impact IFC Press Releases It's Time to Rethink Traditional Career Trajectories HBR.org Daily Which US workers are exposed to AI in their jobs? Pew Research Center What We Offer UnitedHealth Group Best job site of 2024 TechRadar Education and Development WellSpan Health Career Symposium National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences The Challenges of Retiring from a High-Powered Job HBR.org Daily Opinion | The A.I. Economy Will Make Jobs More Human The New York Times In-Demand Jobs for Seniors | Retirement | U.S. News U.S News & World Report Money US economy likely generated 200,000 new jobs in July The Associated Press Explore and find your profession TotalEnergies.com John Lewis publishes job interview questions to aid preparation Personnel Today 40 Best Travel Jobs To Make Money Traveling (They Really Exist!) Expert Vagabond Find a Role Bain & Company Careers at UNHCR UNHCR Jobs Energy.gov Upgraded National Career Service portal to give job market a fillip Business Standard Employment Opportunities City of Windsor Careers City of Somerville Careers | City of Norfolk, Virginia - Official Website City of Norfolk (.gov) Jobs at Parks Canada Canada.ca Careers & Employment Pinellas County Employment Opportunities Unity Health Toronto Departments - Human Resources - Job Openings and Descriptions City of Round Rock |
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