Post Interview Protocol
By Joan Lloyd
Dear Joan: I have been unemployed for six months, due to a
lay-off, after a wonderful career in aerospace. I recently applied
for a job with a small start-up company. The HR rep called me
within minutes of submitting my application and set up an interview
with the CEO.
I arrived slightly early for the interview dressed in my best
interview suit. The CEO explained what they did and what would be
expected of me. He also said he was impressed with the experience I
would be bringing to the position. The interview ended with the CEO
telling me he would make his decision on hiring for the position in
a little over a week. He mentioned the call would be delayed by the
fact he was going on vacation for a week.
When I got home, I immediately wrote him a thank you letter
and snail mailed it to his business address. A week went by. A
second week went by. I sent the HR rep an email and asked her if
the position had been filled. She emailed me back and said the
position had not been filled and she would contact me.
Another week has gone by and I am wondering if it would be
appropriate for me to write a follow-up letter expressing my
continued interest in the position, or if that would make me seem
desperate?
As of this Friday, it will be over a month since I interviewed
for the position. I am continuing to apply for other jobs (a
minimum of five per week, to qualify for unemployment
compensation), but I really want the job I interviewed for with
this small company.
I have been out of the job search arena for so long, I am not
sure of the appropriate post interview protocol. Please
advise.
Answer
Don’t lose heart. A start-up company typically
doesn’t have the resources—including HR
systems—that larger, more established firms enjoy. Every
employee, including the CEO, wears so many hats, priorities shift
on a daily, if not hourly, basis. If I were to take a guess about
what is happening at this particular start up, I would wager the
CEO took his vacation, came back to mountains of problems and
opportunities and simply hasn’t been able to focus on hiring
for this new job.
Of course, it is also possible that he feels the perfect
candidate hasn’t been found and wants to widen the search. If
so, you will have to hope he circles back to you.
In the meantime, you are doing the right thing by continuing
to apply for positions. You have done other things right, too. You
sent a thank you and followed up with the HR representative. Since
the CEO said he was impressed with your credentials, you can only
surmise that you are still in the running.
I would suggest a friendly email to the HR representative
that:
·
Asks if there is anything else you can provide that will help her
evaluate your candidacy;
·
Lets her know you are still interviewing for other positions but
prefer this position because of your enthusiasm about the job, and
the value you believe you can add; and
·
Tells her you don’t want to be a pest, so you won’t
badger her.
With this approach, you can be genuine and enthusiastic, while
letting her know you won’t become one of those candidates
that HR folks dread—calling and emailing constantly.
Another suggestion is to offer to work on a project
immediately, on a contract basis, so they can make a first-hand
assessment of your skills, and at the same time, you can see if the
company is the right match for you. They may be very keen on this
approach, if they feel the pressure to fill the position but just
can’t get it done fast enough.
In addition, if you are offered a job with another company and
you still prefer this position, I recommend that you contact them
and let them know you have been made an offer but you would prefer
their job, if it’s still available. Sometimes this is just
the shove a company needs to shift out of neutral and make a
decision.
