The Job Search Thread

[CathyCA]

I think the phone interview went well. The questions were, "How soon can you start?" and "What are your salary expectations?" The HR person that I spoke with is arranging a phone conference with the hiring managers and will get back to me.

Okay, one day later and I didn't hear anything back regarding the second interview with the hiring managers. Should I be nervous? From the way the HR person spoke, I though the follow-up was definitely going to happen.

I think I need to send a "thanks for our conversation; I look forward to learning more about this position" e-mail to the HR person. Does that sound like a reasonable idea? Thoughts?

One day later = FRIDAY in August. Don't be nervous. Your HR people may have already been doing the weekend thing.

Absolutely send a "thank-you-I'd-like-to-learn-more" note to the HR person. Theirs is a thankless job, and your HR person will appreciate the thanks.

[windsor]

Don't be nervous, and do a send a short 'thank you'. Make sure you indicate STRONG interest in the position and talking more about it include how good a fit it is for you, how much you think you'd like it..but don't go over two paragraphs of 'body' or it won't get read. Try to throw in a specific or two that was mentioned during the call.

Half my office has been out this week (school here starts Monday) so not getting feedback this time of year, on a Friday no less, means nothing.


In the mean time.....

[Ima Facultiwyfe]

We're hanging on tight throughout the weekend with ya, Arkie!
Love, Ima

[windsor]

There was an article in todays St Pete Times about local companies that are hiring...this one:

http://www.xcelience.com/

will be adding to its staff this year...one of they key hiring areas was chemists...not sure if it is even near up your alley, but I thought I'd pass it along.

[ArkieDukie]

We're hanging on tight throughout the weekend with ya, Arkie!
Love, Ima

Thanks, Ima! I just sent a very short note to the HR person that interviewed me - thanks for taking the time to talk with me, excited about the position, would welcome the opportunity to become a part of your team. Didn't go into much more than that since I couldn't think of anything that didn't duplicate my application letter.

Thanks for the encouragement, everyone!

[ArkieDukie]

There was an article in todays St Pete Times about local companies that are hiring...this one:

http://www.xcelience.com/

will be adding to its staff this year...one of they key hiring areas was chemists...not sure if it is even near up your alley, but I thought I'd pass it along.

Thanks for the link, windsor! I took a look, and it doesn't appear that they have any positions at my level.

[Lavabe]

We're hanging on tight throughout the weekend with ya, Arkie!
Love, Ima

Thanks, Ima! I just sent a very short note to the HR person that interviewed me - thanks for taking the time to talk with me, excited about the position, would welcome the opportunity to become a part of your team. Didn't go into much more than that since I couldn't think of anything that didn't duplicate my application letter.

Thanks for the encouragement, everyone!

AR-KIE, AR-KIE, AR-KIE!!!

[windsor]

There was an article in todays St Pete Times about local companies that are hiring...this one:

http://www.xcelience.com/

will be adding to its staff this year...one of they key hiring areas was chemists...not sure if it is even near up your alley, but I thought I'd pass it along.

Thanks for the link, windsor! I took a look, and it doesn't appear that they have any positions at my level.

No worries. If it is of interest, keep an eye on the website as the paper indicated they are hiring an additional 45 people this year...something might fit.

[ArkieDukie]

No word today. Patience is a virtue. (Please, please let me hear something positive soon...)

[OZZIE4DUKE]

No word today. Patience is a virtue. (Please, please let me hear something positive soon...)

You're beautiful, smart, a wonderful person, we all love you and we're rooting for you!

[lawgrad91]

No word today. Patience is a virtue. (Please, please let me hear something positive soon...)

Don't worry. People are still on vacation and lots of kids haven't gone back to school.

[ArkieDukie]

No word today. Patience is a virtue. (Please, please let me hear something positive soon...)

You're beautiful, smart, a wonderful person, we all love you and we're rooting for you!

Thanks, Ozzie!

[Ima Facultiwyfe]

This is just one. More are sure to follow if this isn't the one. CTN arms are linked all around you. Vibing like crazy. It will be very soon now.
Love, Ima

[ArkieDukie]

The phone interview was a week ago, and I haven't heard anything about a second interview with hiring managers. How much longer should I wait before contacting the HR person and asking for an update?

[Lavabe]

The phone interview was a week ago, and I haven't heard anything about a second interview with hiring managers. How much longer should I wait before contacting the HR person and asking for an update?

Given the delay in response, I'm inclined not to contact them. The HR person you talked with is part of a process, and estimating a response time to a prospective interviewee (you) is very hard to do. Even if the head of the program looking at your application said it would be a week, I'd not be terribly inclined to contact them.

It's hard to read phone interviews from HR folks, especially when they ask the salary-related questions.

When I applied for positions, I gave it my best shot on each one, and submitted things on time. I hoped that I'd proceed with each application. If someone asked for more info, GREAT. If they didn't want info, GREAT. The courtesy note after any discussion or direct contact is something you SHOULD ALWAYS do. That sets a professional tone. Unless someone asks for more information, further communication is something that I've never felt comfortable with. In your case, you've already expressed your enthusiasm for the position. Fine. Let them work with it.

Then again, others here may have different opinions. I tend to be more familiar with the academic world; this is a private sector job, right?

Someone will gain a lot by hiring you.

[YmoBeThere]

From the what not to do files: we've been interviewing for entry level analyst positions for a couple months now. We brought in four candidates last week and ultimately passed on all 4. The last one we let know yesterday because we debated his candidacy for quite a while. By last night, he had sent an e-mail basically telling the hiring manager to go @#$* himself. Wow, are we glad we decided not to hire him. Who knows we may have come back to him at some point, we have done so with other candidates who are now working for us.

[windsor]

From the what not to do files: we've been interviewing for entry level analyst positions for a couple months now. We brought in four candidates last week and ultimately passed on all 4. The last one we let know yesterday because we debated his candidacy for quite a while. By last night, he had sent an e-mail basically telling the hiring manager to go @#$* himself. Wow, are we glad we decided not to hire him. Who knows we may have come back to him at some point, we have done so with other candidates who are now working for us.

What an idiot. When I first interviewed at my current company I did not get the gig...when the called me the told me 'thanks but no thanks' HR said there was a similar position in another department and they would pass my resume along. I remember thinking "yeah, right....that's gonna happen" but I thanked them for the opportunity to interview and send I hoped the other position would pan out. Imagine my shock when three days later I got called in to interview for that job...and got it. Ironically, I ended up working fairly closely with the guy who got hired instead of me AND his boss - who was the one who decided not hire me. The boss and I were actually quite friendly - once I knew him and his team I knew i was a bad personality fit for them...no hard feelings...and certainly no telling him to go engage in carnal anatomical impossibilities.

[YmoBeThere]

He should be the lead example in the WWWND thread.

[windsor]

The phone interview was a week ago, and I haven't heard anything about a second interview with hiring managers. How much longer should I wait before contacting the HR person and asking for an update?

If you have sent your thank you/interest message you do not contact them. I'm with Lavabe on this one. It is one of the great truths that the job hunter is always on a more aggressive time line than the hiring person. There is a sneaky way around not contacting them...if the same company has another position that you might qualify for or be interested in THEN you drop an e-mail to the HR person and say "I haven't heard anything about about job X, but I see you have job Y which I think I might also be a good fit for' and asked to be considered for that one. If job X is just in a holding pattern (or the hiring person is just tied up) then HR should tell you that or look in to it for you...if they've decided not to fill job X right this minute they might also tell you that. That way you can inquired without looking needy or desperate.

Job Vibes comin':

[captmojo]

With the current state of the job market, I'd be willing to consider being very bold in follow-up. Not just 'out-of-the-box', but rather, think of the possibility of smashing the Hell out of any box.