If you're looking for employment, I imagine that you've tried to do all the right things in the job search process:

A. You think about what you want for your next job, prepare your professional documents that include a resume and cover letter tailored to the prospective job, reference letters and, if appropriate, samples of your work.
B. If you've read any research on how people secure jobs, you've also assembled a list of contacts and have thought about the best way to approach each person for informational interviews.
C. Once you learn about a job prospect through any of the most common avenues such as networking, classified ads, on-line search engines or company website postings, you follow the recommended directions for applying and take action within stated timeframes.
D. Then you wait for some type of response.

If more time has passed than you'd like, you might get discouraged or make up stories about why you are not being contacted for an interview. If you've had issues with self confidence or self esteem, this waiting period can bring up these old demons you thought you'd put to rest long ago.

Fears of never finding a job may cause you to abandon the quest for what you truly want for anything that generates a paycheck. Be brave and disciplined enough to review the details of your financial reality and determine how long you can wait before moving to an alternate plan.

There can be several "waiting periods" during any job search. One might occur after submitting your application and resume, after your first interview, and still another once you've been told you are a finalist or the "chosen one". Prior to any waiting period, you may be given a specific timeframe by which you will hear about your status in the search process. This date may come and go without a word since there is frequently a lack of follow through on the part of prospective employers.

Since you cannot control how applications are handled on the employer's end, here are suggestions on what you can do when you are kept waiting for answers at various stages of your job search:

1. Don't jump to conclusions or take the lack of response personally.
2. Make sure you've met all of the application requirements.
3. Call the employer to confirm receipt of your materials.
4. At the end of an interview, ask when you might hear from them about the search process.
5. If you have not heard from the employer one week after the stated date has passed, call for information.
6. If you have been told that you are a top candidate and that you will be notified for a final interview, ask when that might happen. If that date passes, call after a couple of days to inquire about setting up an interview time.
7. Keep in mind the facts of any situation as you plan your action steps to get the information you need. Do not make assumptions about why you have not been contacted. Let this be the mystery that it is rather than conjuring up bad news that may not be true.
8. As you apply for any job, consider how you are treated in the hiring process.
9. Decide whether or not you want to work for a company by taking into account its degree of professionalism, follow through, and priority on communication.

E-mail this entry to a friend