Cutting Edge Tips For Following Up After the Phone Interview
By Peggy McKee, Career Confidential
Say you’ve applied online and been lucky enough to score a phone interview with HR. Do you know how to follow up successfully after the phone screen?
* What if it went really well and you thought you should have heard back by now?
* What if it didn’t go so well, but you really feel that it would be a good fit for you?
Everyone knows you should follow up, but many candidates get tripped up in the process and aren’t able to get a solid answer from the company. It’s not uncommon for a candidate to follow up with the HR person and get a vague or otherwise discouraging answer.
If you really want this job, and it looks really attractive to you, you need to contact the hiring manager directly. Go around the HR person, find the hiring manager and start a relationship with that person. Why? Results.
* The hiring manager is the one who’s feeling the pain of having that open position-the HR person does not.
* The hiring manager is the one who can see how your skill set is transferable into this position-the HR person usually cannot.
* The hiring manager is the one who’s feeling a tremendous sense of urgency to fill that spot-the HR person may not.
So, contact that person. Find him on LinkedIn or Facebook. Google him if you have to. Call the company and ask for the manager over XYZ area (or you can ask by function). Figure out what you have to do to get the name and phone number of the person you need to talk to.
When you contact him, say something like, “I spoke to Suzy about the position, and I thought the conversation went really well, but I don’t think she really understood how perfect I am for the position based on my skills in X, Y, and Z, and I’d love to chat with you further.” Ask if you can meet-at the office, over lunch, or whenever is a good time.
If this doesn’t go well (and it might not), then at least you tried. Right now, you’re dead in the water. No news is not good news in the job search. So, go around HR to the hiring manager, ask those questions that will demonstrate your understanding of the job, and take your best shot at getting the job. I think you’ll find that it’s worth it.
Peggy McKee has over 15 years of experience in sales, sales management, sales recruiting, and career coaching. Her website, Career Confidential is packed with job-landing tips and advice as well as the practical, powerful, innovative tools every job seeker needs to be successful.
Check out the latest Career Insider eNewsletter - December 9, 2010.
