How to handle employer silence and manage your expectations when not receiving feedback after applications or interviews
Job hunting is not for the faint of heart.
Between sending out resumes and getting no response to being ghosted by employers when you finally land an interview, it’s hard to know how to deal with the silence. Unfortunately, this frustration can be common and one you must overcome when looking for a job. Here are a few ways to handle employer silence.
Just be patient.
It’s easier said than done, but it’s really important to give a company enough time to do their jobs in addition to responding to prospective employees. You don’t know what else they are up against or how many other candidates they need to sort through. For this reason, it’s recommended that you wait at least a week before sending an email or direct message of some kind to follow up. While persistence is important, so is showing you have emotional intelligence of knowing when’s the appropriate time to reach out.
Try to check in.
If you’ve waited a reasonable amount of time and still do not hear anything from the potential employer, send them a polite email asking about your status. When doing this, keep your email short and sweet and show your enthusiasm above everything else. Acknowledge that you know their job of choosing new employees is time-consuming and difficult. Finally, always be thankful for their time and again express your interest in working for them.
Keep your options open.
While you’re waiting to hear back from a potential employer, don’t put all your eggs in their basket. Strategically show your interest but also apply to other job openings and continue to interview when you can. Not only does this increase your chances of landing a job but also keeps you in a positive mental state. While you’re at it, you might also try connecting with other employees of the company you’d like to work for and see if they have any insider information on hiring.
One thing this silence gives you is some time to reflect on how you performed during your interview.
Are there any areas that need improvement? Now might be a good time to involve a career advisor to help you figure out how to increase your interviewing skills and come up with a plan to reach out to the company in question. You can use this assessment to help create future job opportunities.
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