interviewing

Stuck In Job Applicant Purgatory? How To Get The Process Unstuck

iStock | Thomas Bernd

If you think employers are making it harder to get a job, you’re right. Employers believe they have the leverage and are using all sorts of tactics to lengthen the hiring process. Here are just a few:

  • Multiple rounds of protracted interviews

  • Tests/presentations/case studies

  • Heavy focus on cultural fit

  • Taking their time to make final decisions because they know they have multiple qualified candidates in the pipeline.

Unfortunately, as a candidate you have little recourse and not a lot of influence on the time and trajectory of a hiring process. Right now, employers are not in a rush and you have to judge on a case-by-case basis if what you’re being asked to do is worth your time. When you do pursue open positions there are strategies to mitigate employer sluggishness. Here’s a few ways to get the process unstuck.

  • Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Cast a wider net than you may normally be inclined. Don’t apply to jobs you don’t want, but have as many pokers in the fire as possible. There is a myriad of ways this may be to your advantage. For example, an offer by one company sometimes triggers action from another. A company that drags you along may drop on your list while another job you hadn’t given serious thought to becomes a front-runner. Diversify. Apply to some jobs a little bit outside your box and see where they go.

  • Do your homework. You can avoid getting bogged down in a lengthy and time-intensive job process by researching a company’s culture. If you don’t think you’d be a good fit, move on. Don’t get caught in a loop over a job you’d turn down if offered. However, if you think you’re perfect for Company XYZ’s fast-paced, analysis-driven environment, go for it. In an interview, push your professional attributes that best fit with the culture.

  • Be a recruiter’s friend. If you’re working with a recruiter making their life as easy as possible is to your advantage. Do NOT stalk your recruiter; nothing turns a recruiter off more than the person who calls five times a day when there’s nothing to discuss. Be available. Answer recruiter messages and questions quickly. Make it a priority. If a recruiter calls a bunch of people, the ones who respond quickly get in on the action. Be cooperative. If you agree to something, stick to it. Be an ally.

  • Demonstrate value. If employers can be selective, they will. In interviews, you can counter by demonstrating the value you will bring to your new role. Hiring managers can read your resume and see what you’ve done for other people, it’s your job to let them know what you’re going to do for them. As part of your response to every question, let them know how you will add value. Really push that narrative.

  • The next steps. At the end of interviews, candidates are typically asked if they have any questions. You should ask about the next steps. This may be your only chance to get details of how their internal process will progress. Don’t pepper them with questions, but if you can find out how long it may take before a decision is made, or when a subsequent round of interviews begins, you’re empowering yourself to steer the next steps in your direction (so to speak).

  • Use references and thank you notes to your advantage. Use every tool at your disposal to make your candidacy distinctive. References demonstrate that other people value what you do. Thank you notes show you value what other people do. Small, traditional touches like that can be a differentiator.


Philip Roufail contributed to this article.

Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, career coaching services, and outplacement services. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.

Post-Interview Thank You Notes And The Significance Of The Personal Touch

There’s nothing like a post-interview thank you note, simple and to the point, to make a positive impression on the people who met with you to measure your fit for the job. There is no downside.

The act itself is a message. Sending thank-you notes has been a recommended best practice for many moons, but the digital age has elevated the significance of “the personal touch.” As the world has become more digital, the once-customary handwritten thank you note is an endangered species. But it still matters.

People who slow the world down long enough to write a thank you note do more than uphold a civilized tradition. They benefit their candidacies in a laundry list of ways. Here are some things to consider when you reach the thank you note stage of your job search:

  • Time and effort. The act of sending a thank you note separates you from people who don’t. When a recruiter or hiring manager is looking at your resume, they will remember the courteous note they received from you and that you voluntarily and independently increased your time and effort to do so. It might push your candidacy over the top.

  • Keep it simple. It’s a thank-you note, not the Treaty of Westphalia. You don’t have to write much (four or five lines), but what you do write should be sincere.

  • Keep it professional. Don’t be sincere about your latest rash or whether or not you believe ketchup goes on a hot dog (the answer is no, by the way). Every word should be relevant to your job interview (or job process – more on that below). And don’t get personal. 

  • Send thank you notes to everybody in the job process who has helped you. You should always send thank-you notes to the recruiter and people who interview you. However, others should be on the list as well. Did somebody agree to be one of your references? Thank you note. Did somebody give you a referral that led to an interview? Thank you note. Did you have a series of interviews arranged and administered by the same person? Thank you note. Nobody will ever hold it against you that you took the time to thank them.

  • A thank you note is like a business card, but better. Let’s say you don’t get the job. Your thank you note continues to have value beyond one open position. When another position opens at the same company, you may come to mind and you get an “out of the blue” communication inquiring about your status. Or the recruiter may move companies and, because of your thank you note, put you on their list to update. Or whoever interviewed you notices your name at the company that did hire you and, because of your thank you note, they reach out to see if there’s any business you can do together. A thoughtful thank-you note can help you grow your professional network.

 

While thank you notes may seem daunting and many people overthink them, they’re actually really quick and easy to write. Every thank you note only needs to be four lines, five if you want bonus points.

Start with “Hello” and the person’s name. But nobody will hold it against you if you address your handwritten thank-you note to their name only.

Line 1: The thank you part. Always lead with “Thank you…” “Thank you for meeting with me.” “Thank you for taking the time to discuss the open position with me today.”Thank you for giving me a behind-the-scenes look at your company today.” That kind of thing.

John/Jane,

1] Thank you for meeting with me today.

 

Line 2: The what you learned part. You just thanked them so your next line should explain why the brief time you spent with them was the best time ever. Flattery works.


John/Jane,

 

1] Thank you for meeting with me today. 2] Hearing about Big Company’s plans for the future makes me even more excited to be in the robotics field.

 

Note: only use, “robotics field,” if you’re in the robotics field. If you’re not, specify your field.

 

Bonus Points. Bonus points if you can slip in a quote from the recipient. “When you said, ‘We play ping-pong most mornings,’ I knew I had found a cultural fit.”

 

Line 3: The subtle reminder their job search is over part. They should hire you and you just proved it by writing a handwritten thank you note. With a pen. On paper. You own envelopes and bought stamps! “I left the interview knowing I would be a perfect fit for your company.” “I believe my credentials and experience are exactly what you’re looking for.” “I look forward to detailing the value I can bring to your company’s future during the next round of interviews.”

 

John/Jane,

1] Thank you for meeting with me today. 2] Hearing about Big Company’s plans for the future makes me even more excited to be in the robotics field [BONUS], or as you call it, ‘the Mars Rover business.’ 3] I believe my credentials and experience are exactly what you’re looking for.

 

Line 4: The thank you part again. “Thank you for your time and consideration.” Line 4 should always be, “Thank you for your time and consideration.” This is the path of least resistance. You don’t have to tie yourself up in knots when this line is tried and true.

 

1] Thank you for meeting with me today. 2] Hearing about Big Company’s plans for the future makes me even more excited to be in the robotics field [BONUS], or as you call it, ‘the Mars Rover business.’ 3] I believe my credentials and experience are exactly what you’re looking for.  4] Thank you for your time and consideration.

 

Best Regards (Kind Regards, Sincerely, etc.),

 

[Your autograph]


Philip Roufail contributed to this article.

Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, career coaching services, and outplacement services. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.

To Test, Or Not To Test, In A Job Interview?

iStock | gorodenkoff


Testing applicants’ skills and knowledge during the job-seeking process has become a hot-button issue among job seekers and employers alike. Recently, a financial services employer posted on X an exchange between him and a young applicant; to be considered for an in-person interview, completing a financial modeling test would be required.

While the employer felt that having an applicant take a test to measure their qualifications was an unnecessary burden – their response: “This looks like a lot of work. Without knowing where I stand in the process, I’m not comfortable spending 90 minutes in Excel.” The employer countered with, “… well… I can tell you where you stand now.” The post produced a firestorm of responses. To the employer’s surprise, many people were on the applicant’s side.

The employer, the applicant, and those responding to the post all have credible positions. An employer has every right to require testing to find the best candidate and an applicant has every right to decline and move on. Let’s talk about testing during the job application process and the different ways it can be approached from both perspectives.

The first thing to ask is, “Who has the leverage?” Leverage swings back and forth between employers and applicants depending on the state of the job market. When applicants have the leverage, there is less of a chance they will be asked to jump over additional hurdles to get the position (or in the case above, even an interview). When employers have the leverage, they get picky and can afford to tighten the recruitment requirements.

There is no power equity between employers and job applicants, and the interview process is not symmetrical, meaning employers set the rules, and job seekers must follow those rules if they want the job. Testing is a recruitment requirement employers use as an extra level of insurance that their time and effort to find the right candidate will pay off. Tests can range from as simple as a couple of questions that must be answered to digitally submit a resume, up to highly complex (and intense) “whiteboard tests” or business proposals and presentations that applicants deliver during in-person interviews with a panel of decision-makers as an audience. The applicant must be willing to put in extra time and effort with no guarantee that they will advance in the process, and even risk being ghosted by the company to which they’ve applied, or they can expect to hear, “… well… I can tell you where you stand now.”

As a job seeker, your only power is to decide what makes sense to you. Your time and effort are valuable, especially if you are engaged in multiple job processes with multiple companies. In other words, employers can throw whatever testing requirements they want at you, but you have the right to move on. If you believe time-consuming testing isn’t in your best interests or you should be compensated for your time, cross that company off your list and focus on the next potential employer.

From the employer’s perspective, it’s reasonable to ask a potential employee to demonstrate their skills. On the other hand, in this digital age, recruitment efforts are no longer an internal matter. Every action a company takes can (and often does) end up online for public consumption. Employers requiring applicants to go the extra mile without even giving them the common courtesy of a notification of their status, it’s going to end up on Glassdoor, and savvy candidates that you may want will skip over you when they’re deciding where to apply. Ultimately, employers may want to consider that the time and effort of their applicants are just as important as theirs and offer compensation for people’s time and write it off as recruiting expense, or at least guarantee that applicants completing time-intensive testing are guaranteed an in-person interview to discuss the results of the test and hear their pitch for why they are the best candidate for the job.


Philip Roufail contributed to this article.

Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, career coaching services, and outplacement services. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.