Pongo Resume

Failing to follow up after submitting a resume is a very common mistake. It's not surprising, given that so many job ads say "No Phone Calls, Please." 

But I've spoken to a lot of hiring authorities in recent years, and they all agree that it's not only OK to follow up after you send your resume, it's critical. Why, then, do employers continue to put "No Phone Calls, Please" in their job ads? Because it's a lot shorter than saying, "No Phone Calls From the Tire-Kickers and Arrogant Jerks Who Call and Ask Stupid Questions, Please." But you? You should call.

But, But, But
On the surface, it may seem pushy, impolite, and risky to deliberately disobey your desired future employer's instructions. Do it anyway, because you need to get your name floating around that workplace. (And don't chicken out and use email. It's not the same.)

But … what if they throw away my resume because I ignored their wishes? Very unlikely. And if they're that anal, good riddance.

But … what if I can't get through to the hiring manager? Doesn't matter. Leave a message with someone in the department and politely ask them to pass it to the right person. (And if they seem friendly, keep chatting. See if you can get any helpful tips about the job, the culture, or the boss.)

But … I'm too scared to call. Call when the workplace is closed and leave a voicemail message. (Curiosity will probably make them look for your resume after they hear the message.)


A True Story
I once tried to use the call-and-leave-a-message-after-hours method. I was poised to leave a brilliant message, but instead, the hiring manager happened to be working late and … he answered the phone. After a bit of sputtering on my part, we started to chat and he pulled my resume out of the pile, and we wound up having an impromptu phone interview.

Long story short, he invited me for a "real" interview, I got the job, and stayed with the company for eight years! (Moral of the story: Be prepared.)
 
What to Say When You Call

Be polite, respectful, upbeat, and to-the-point. This is not the time to ramble on with a lengthy personal sales pitch. You just want to put your name out there and let them know you're not just another anonymous resume in the queue; you're a living, breathing candidate who really wants the job.

Use these tips to help you formulate a statement that feels comfortable, then practice, practice, practice.

START with a basic message like this:

"My name is ____, and I submitted my resume for the ____ position on ____. This is an opportunity I'm especially interested in, and my background seems to be a great match. Would it be possible to find out your timeframe for scheduling interviews?"

THEN, if they give you a timeframe (e.g., "We expect to start interviewing next week"), say something like:

"That sounds great. I definitely hope to hear from you around that time. Meanwhile, would it be helpful if I emailed you another copy of my resume and cover letter?"

OR, if they don't give you a timeframe (e.g., "It's hard to say right now"), it probably means: a) their hiring process is poorly organized, or b) you didn't make the cut. To get a better idea which it is, say: 

"That's understandable. When would be a good time to follow up again?"

If they tell you to try again in a week or two, you're most likely still in the running. If they give you the "don't call us, we'll call you" routine, you're probably out. Sorry.

OR, if you reach voice mail, leave a message, using the same principles as above: 

"My name is Jane Doe, 555-987-6543, and I submitted my resume on ____ for the ____ position … blah, blah, blah…. Again, this is Jane Doe, 555-987-6543."

Be sure to leave your name and number slowly and clearly at both the beginning AND end of your message. Why both? Have you ever had to replay an entire message, just to catch the caller's number at the very end? That's why!

Whatever the circumstances of your phone call, whether you reach your future boss, someone else in the department, or a voice mailbox, just be sure you communicate all five of these critical facts:

1. Your full name and phone number (twice if you're leaving a message);
2. The job title you applied for;
3. The date you applied;
4. The fact that you’re very interested in and well-suited for the job; and
5. That you'd like to know their interview timeframe.

Please share your thoughts. Have you ever had a bad experience when you called to follow up with an employer? Have you been hired as a direct result of a follow-up call, as I was? Recruiters and hiring managers, how do YOU feel about this topic?

and i would rather call and talk to a real person. i read something that said a voice message could be ignored as easily as an e-mail. also, a voice mail could be deleted with the hr person thinking it was a call from one of the 'tire-kickers and arrogant jerks who call and ask stupid questions'

but yea, calling is definitely nerve-wracking, so if you can't call directly, you should at least leave a voice mail or some sort of follow-up!

Hi Joey,

Thanks for writing. You're right - a voice message may not be the ideal, but it's FAR better than no follow-up at all.

Julie

When calling, if you were referred, I would think you should mention that person's name and the fact that they referred you. The reminder of the personal relationship could not hurt.

Hi Helena,

That's an excellent point. If you have a name to drop, drop it early and often!

Julie

I completely disagree with the call anyway consensus when a job posting asks for no phone calls. Working in the hiring division of the large corporation when we post "No phone calls!" we mean it. If we didn't we'd have to create a new position just to field these calls all day every day because there would be dozens coming in every hour.

It is especially off putting when the person on the phone becomes rude or stand offish, insisting that they should have gotten at LEAST an interview with our company because they are so qualified. My supervisor has even asked me to take the names of the most offensive phone calls. We do find their resumes and promptly put them in the "Do Not Hire" pile. His thinking, if you can't follow our simple instructions now, how will you be as an employee. I don't think it's being anal. Our office would literally not get any work done if we consistenly took these calls.

My advice, don't call when a posting has clearly asked for no calls. However, if you insist you must, and the person on the phone reminds you that the posting has asked for no phone calls, just apologize and say that you hope to hear from them soon.

hi hb, so even a follow up call would be wrong? i understand using the phone call to get more info would be wrong ,but aren't we talking about a different stage of process?what if you really did mess up and wanted to add cover letter to resume, should you resend resume or make call

HB, I disagree....I worked in recruiting a couple of years ago and can tell you that candidates who took the initiative to call me were generally more appealing than candidates I reached out to on job boards. It makes the job of recruiting easier and more pleasant....I'm curious as to why, working in the hiring department of your company, you are averse to the idea of a follow-up phone call. I'm sure you have had plenty of annoyances, but the opportunity for a candidate to offer a personal touch to an otherwise vaguely personal application seems like a crucial part of the hiring process. There are certainly techniques to ward off tire kickers and jerks. I've always thought of the HR profession as dealing with people, not paper...just a thought, anyway.

Never cal HR, they are useless and usually hinder the hiring manager. Always call the hiring manager and offer value.

At what point after you have submitted your resume should you make a follow up call. What is considered too early or too late? TD

@Todd

As you probably know, there are no absolute "rules" about this, but in general, I'd wait a week before following up.

If you reach someone onyour first follow-up call, always ask what their planned timeframe is (knowing that sh-t happens and it may go longer), and just as importantly, ask them the best time to follow up again.

Based on that, you can usually determine when it's too late -- or when all hope is lost :(

Good luck to you!

--Julie

So the minute after I applied for a position, I called the hiring manager. This was after hours and I left a voicemail. On the voicemail I mentioned how excited I was about the position and I would like to schedule a phone interview. Then after I got an automated response back from applying, it said "Please no phone calls". I really, really want this job and I know I'm qualified. Should I still call again? If so, when?

@Melissa W.

No, I wouldn't call again. They have your resume and cover letter. They know you really want the job. Now the ball is in their court. If you called again, it would start to be annoying, and you definitely don't want to go there!

Your excitement and enthusiasm come through loud and clear in this comment. That's great. But whatever you do, don't stop applying for other jobs while you wait for a response on this one.

So many things can happen when a company has an opening. For instance, they might decide not to fill the position, they might have an internal candidate, or you might get an interview and discover the boss is a jerk or it's not the perfect opportunity you thought it was.

And it can be devastating when a "dream job" doesn't work out. But it's much MORE devastating if that was the only prospect and you find yourself back at square one. So keep applying until you have that job offer in hand!

Best of luck!!

Julie

Thanks for putting this out there on the internet. I actually just tried this method and I have an interview soon!

I agree with HB but at the same time agree with Julie-only to a point! I have been a General Manager in the QSR (fast food) Industry for over 15yrs now & yes it's good to call & check on your app/resume to get your name out there, I've actually hired this way (15%). Nice person called at the right time!

And on the other hand I've filed them in the 2yr folder (80%)! Simple instructions are very hard for some to follow and the lack of common sense truly amazes me! You might say "good riddance" to me so allow me to explain:

My position states it is primarily managerial but we all know how many HATS a GM holds in QSR's. Applicants will call at 1210pm or at 6pm right in the middle of rush periods and then the customer that pays my salary & bonus calls Corporate lets them know how rude/slow we are because we answered your call instead of serving them. This equals less sales, higher labor, & I just lost my bonus from the amount of 800 calls!

Having no respect, being rude to the person answering, demands to speak with GM,etc is uncalled for & you can practically hear them roll their eyes and see the steam coming out when you try to politely state "I'm in the middle of my rush please no calls". On these we take the name/caller ID# and file their app I will not review it no matter how qualified or great you truly are! Those that are nice & apologize b/c they have never worked with food & don't understand stay in the review pile.

Julie, this article would be better written if you would explain that applicants need to understand how the environment is at the place they are calling! Sometimes "no calls" means absolutely no calls yet on the other hand it means "the squeaky wheel gets the grease". If they don't know proper etiquet for the position they are seeking they will never get it. Example: Here in the US we eat beef, it's whats for dinner. In India they worship the cow, what do you think would happen if you were visiting India and ordered a Quarter Pounder w/Cheese?

This is differant in any field your seeking! I purposely pay an additional $4 per line in our help wanted ads just so we don't get these calls...$4 is worth more than losing one customer or a $1700/mo bonus! Sure you might say well who wants to "sling chicken" for a job, but I'm here to tell you I have no High School Diploma/College Degree and I get called weekly by recruiters & franchisees to revamp their stores, plus the 80k a year is truly worth working 40hrs a week with 5 weeks of vacations & full benefits!

Think twice about calling when the ad states "No Phone Calls Please". Thank you, have a wonderful day! Eltonscott

Bottom line: you will be taking a chance. Some employers won't mind a cursory follow-up call and some will take it as 'this person can't follow/adhere to a simple rule we put forth' No Phone Calls. And to the point of being rude. Is that even needed in this discussion; if you are rude on a first contact phone call you clearly aren't able to handle yourself in a professional manner - and no one would want to hire you. So clearly, there is no one answer. It's a choice each person makes.

Hi all,

I just tried this method, and was as polite as possible. I spoke with the Director, told him that I would keep it brief, which I did, and he told me they'd be calling people back next week..

But I'm confused..

He also seemed to get angry and said, "Next time you might want to read the ad.." and then something about "what you're showing us is not the right thing."

Then he hung up while I was talking and I had a sinking feeling in my stomach. :(

Here's the thing: Why give me all that info, and then turn around and shoot me in the chest (LOL). I know I'm a good candidate, and went above and beyond to provide a detailed cover letter, CV and resume. I was simply checking to see if he had received my materials from the General office email.

Do I stand a chance? Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

Well I'm stuck in a one horse town and I'm not going to let some pushy people in some far away office decide my fate.

It's been two weeks since I applied to my dream job and they've yet to get back to me in any form.

I have nothing to lose. I'm calling ASAP!