How To Follow Up After Submitting A Resume
So you submitted your cover letter and resume to potential jobs and have no idea when you should do a follow up. Should I call? Email? Or send a letter? All of those ways are effective in small doses. In other words, don’t do all three but choose one.
If a few days after dropping off your resume you haven’t heard back from anyone, it’s time to make that phone call. It maybe intimidating for some, so its always easier if you have a script written out like this one:
This is ______ calling. A few days ago I applied for the ______ position in your company’s ______ department/division. I’m calling to make sure you received my resume and to reiterate my interest in the position.
Anymore than two phone calls is too much. The trick is to sound interested and qualified, not desperate. The CareerDoctor.org puts it in good terms:
“The cliché that fits in job-seeking — unless abused — is that the squeaky wheel gets the grease; in other words, the job-seeker who follows-up — who shows interest in the job and the company — will get more attention than other applicants.”
Some employers don’t like the phone calls mostly because of the inconvenience and time management so they’ll prefer email instead. It is important to be brief and straight to the point. No one is going to read a longwinded email about how much you really want the job and then proceed to ask multiple questions concerning the job. Remember, recruiting and selection process can take months so be patient.
If you have sent out multiple resumes, it is a good idea to keep a record for everything. Make a spreadsheet that has a list of all the places you have sent out your resume too with columns for interviews, follow-ups, and contact information. If you don’t you may lose important information concerning your next job.
The very last thing to remember is “Don’t Give Up!” Be persistent and confident in your job search. It may get low at times but remember that your dream job may just be a phone call away.
Aaron was the first intern for ResumeBucket back in 2008 and now is the full time Community Manager. He has a degree from California State University Fullerton specializing in Advertising. You can send him an email at Aaron@ResumeBucket.com
Comments
cass
I really dig this post! I’m never sure what to do after I submit my resume places. Thanks!
Nadine Gallows
Great blog you have here but I was wondering if you knew of any community forums that cover the same topics talked about in this article? Id really love to be a part of group where I can get feedback from other knowledgeable people that share the same interest. If you have any recommendations, please let me know. Appreciate it!
Tonya
Ironically, this is not helpful to the online “resume bucket” which seems to be a good old “round file” aka trash can if you haven’t heard the term. We get a confirmation of application but that is it. We are not notified if they have started the interviewing phase or if they have made a decision. We don’t even know if the company actually does receive our resume. From the past two months of applying online, the whole online application experience is another business. Think about it, if a person is unemployed using on-line application system (1) they probably do not have the money to pay for upgraded services (2) they don’t need to hear from a “direct” person how their resume sucks (3) if they are all ready highly educated, STOP TRYING TO SELL MORE EDUCATION TO THEM! Use some common sense people!
aaron
Tonya thank you for your feedback. I think you have a slight misunderstanding of how ResumeBucket.com works, but that’s okay. Basically we just provide job seekers like yourself a place to come and communication with employers and scan through a large variety of open jobs. Once you submit an application to an employer it is out of ResumeBuckets hands, think of us as just the messenger. I would recommend getting the contact info from the employer you applied with and sending a follow-up e-mail asking if they received your information.
Also some of our users do in fact use the our paid resume writing services as it is affordable and we get many users asking about colleges online. You may opt out of those specific e-mails if they do not pertain to you. If you have any more questions please let me know I am more than happy to help.
Candice Loper
Many companies have online systems to accept applications, resumes, and cover letters for jobs. These are impersonal, no contact information for the recruiter provided. How does one go about following up on this type of submission?
Kate L.
Most of the time that I apply online through CareerBuilders, I don’t get a chance to know the company that I applied to.
Follow up is great with the email but sometimes you don’t get the opportunity to know.
Jill
I love this i really do need help when it comes to call backs thank you for the help
aaron
Often you can poke around the website to find a contact button. Most likely it will be located on the bottom of the page, but through there you should be able at the very least get to some type of form, phone number, or informational e-mail. If you have a specific example I’d be more than happy to walk you through it.
keri
This is a blessing that resume bucket offers these types of services for their clients. Thank you for caring…
william tetteh tettey
Dear recruiters, i am appreciate your good works that you are doing for people. My profession was heavy equipment operator which my resume will talk more about me, my experience and skills. I hope in the near future you are going to provide me a good company . Hoping to hearing from you.
Mona
I agree with Tonya and some of the others as well. In reply to Aaron’s comments, I have opted out of requesting online educatiion information calls and I still receive them anyway, which is really annoying! And you are lucky you already have a job Aaron, because some of your “advice” in this article is not feasible, such as being able to follow up on a submission. More and more companies do not even want you to know who they are! I mostly use your website to read some of the articles, because unfortunately most of your jobs have “training available” connected with them, which means more useless calls from schools! You need to do a reality check and think about some of the people who are applying to these jobs and find out some useful information to pass along!
aaron
I don’t think that’s entirely true Mona. All companies have their information posted somewhere on line. You shouldn’t just be blindly sending in your resume. If you are on a company website or even a job board apply for a spot there are ways to find the contact information for the employer you are submitting too. For instance always look at the bottom of the page, 9 times out of 10 there is a little (and I mean little) button that will say “contact”
Mona
Aaron, I should have specified that I am talking about ads that say “Confidential Posting”. I applied for 2 last week and went back to look at the ads again and no such little button exists! I did figure out one of the companies and I took the bold move to call and leave my name and phone number. They were on monster.com and monster does not let you e-mail the company again if you have already applied. Other websites will let you e-mail again and I have taken to try and follow up now with another e-mail, but have not had much success.
ihsan
hey thnx for help me to find job am engeneer can work every thing, dont care for work as my fieald i can work any work i can find
Jess
I think sometimes you have to be a bit investigative if you want to get your foot in the door. If you submit an application online and it ends up in some database, I think the best way to get your resume noticed is by e-mailing the recruiter or someone higher up in the talent acquisition department. If this person is unlisted (which it usually is) that is where the investigative skills come in handy. Use linkedin and other networking sites to your advantage. I actually have an interview scheduled for next week because I found the contat info of the VP of HR for the company, e-mailed her about my resume and she directly contacted the recruiter handling the position and called me for a phone interview. Trust me, I know how frustrating it can be…but sometimes you have to go the extra mile to get noticed.
aaron
VERY good advice. The extra effort to play a little bit of private detective goes a LONG way.
Cleo Patra
Im sorry but you never said when I should follow up. 1 week, 10 days? How long should I wait? I sent it last Thursday and now its the following Wednesday should I send it now?
Roxy
Hmm. I followed up with a phone call about a month ago for an internship and had my name taken down by the recruiter. Should I call again or just leave it alone?