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After Job Interview: No News = Bad News?
Old 03-17-2009, 12:48 PM   #1
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After Job Interview: No News = Bad News?

DD graduates from Wash U in St. Louis in May, and hasn't lined up a job yet. She's pretty worried.

She had a job interview three weeks ago for a job she'd like, and hasn't heard back yet. She feels that no news = bad news.

I'm not so sure. What do you think?
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Old 03-17-2009, 12:50 PM   #2
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Has she tried to follow up? Sometimes employers are looking to see how interested the applicants are. A quick call to that employer would tell her if she is in the running.........
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Old 03-17-2009, 12:56 PM   #3
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Yes, she's followed up. They told her two weeks ago that it would be a few weeks before she'd hear.
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Old 03-17-2009, 01:04 PM   #4
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Yes, she's followed up. They told her two weeks ago that it would be a few weeks before she'd hear.
Wait until next week and have her call again. Sometimes the hiring process drags on for awhile..........

Is she keeping sharp by interviewing other places too? "Interview experience" is very valauable.........
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Old 03-17-2009, 01:17 PM   #5
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IMHO she should assume she's not getting that job and continue looking (and continue contacting her interviewer just to keep in touch).

Good luck to her.
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Old 03-17-2009, 01:46 PM   #6
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IMHO she should assume she's not getting that job and continue looking (and continue contacting her interviewer just to keep in touch).
Agreed. I wouldn't necessarily give up all hope, but I wouldn't put my job search on hold waiting for a response, either -- *especially* not in this job market.
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Old 03-17-2009, 01:50 PM   #7
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Having conducted a few interviews I'll sometimes get a thank-you card stating something to the effect, "Thanks so much for the opurtunity to meet with you on such and such" The call may not have ever gotten to the interviewer, the card thing is more personal and has more lasting effect. It may not be appropriate in all situations but certainly it is in some.
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Old 03-17-2009, 03:16 PM   #8
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I did campus recruiting for a few years for MegaTech (20 years ago). If she interviewed with a large company then 3 weeks is not out of reason at all. Recommendations/resume etc. are routed through multiple departments for review by multiple people (takes awhile). It's probably even harder in today's unsure environment. (I remember having an offer I had when I graduated "rescinded" due to an "unexpected slowdown in construction".)

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Old 03-17-2009, 03:37 PM   #9
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Some professional employers (including mine) are obliged to advertise in specific minority oriented publications for periods of time. They can't close the recruiting process until that is done.

So, no response is not a good thing but it might be for all kinds of reasons. When I'm hiring and have a great candidate in the wings, I'll usually call her and reinforce that we haven't forgotten about her, she's cleary a strong candidate and please bear with us another 2 weeks, etc.

Best of luck to your DD. Tough times. If she doesn't land a job, maybe she'll go back to graduate $chool like mine did.
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Old 03-17-2009, 03:43 PM   #10
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When I graduated, I did not have a job. I did all the on campus interviews and received very few nibbles. One week after graduation, one company I interviewed with called and offered a job. A couple of days later, a company I had not interview with called requesting an interview with me. So sometimes the process can be slow and all of a sudden, things start popping.
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Old 03-17-2009, 03:49 PM   #11
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IMHO sending a snail mail letter appreciating the interview yada yada would not be out of line and may rattle someone's cage.
OTOH the last time I applied for and got a new job was in the mid-1980s.
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Old 03-17-2009, 04:12 PM   #12
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OTOH the last time I applied for and got a new job was in the mid-1980s.
Yes.....me too....
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Old 03-17-2009, 04:22 PM   #13
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I would say it depends on the organization. If it's a public sector job, 4 - 6 weeks is pretty normal. Even for a private company, 3 weeks is not too long. When I had my govt job, I applied in March and didn't start until September. That was typical. Luckily I had another job to tide me over.

It doesn't hurt to give a follow up email in my opinion. Stress on the "Thank You" part and just say something like "I look forward to hearing from you."
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Old 03-17-2009, 04:43 PM   #14
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I remember my career job - heard nothing for almost a month, then a 2nd interview, 1 week later I was flown to NJ to interview with the homw office and was offered the job the next day. What an exciting time of life! I was so happy to become a pharma rep for a Fortune 100 company - in the early 80's it was like a country club.....now -- not so much.
Good luck to your daughter - while stressful these will be some of the best years of her life.
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Old 03-17-2009, 05:19 PM   #15
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Also, the prospective employer may be offering the job to another person and that person after a short negotiation may not accept (maybe their spouse won't move!). One could be 3rd or 4th on the list and still get the job.
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Old 03-17-2009, 05:30 PM   #16
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She got the job!!!!


Just talked with her now -- she's very excited. No details yet.
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Old 03-17-2009, 05:44 PM   #17
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WOW!! Yay!!! I can't believe a mere five hours after your first post you have such good news!

Congrats to her and you too!!!!
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Old 03-17-2009, 06:01 PM   #18
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Just talked with her now -- she's very excited. No details yet.
I was just about to ask if she wants to work for a company that treats its new hires like that.

How does she tell if her salary & benefits are appropriate or if she's being lowballed? Does the college or other alumni or her professional association give her a ballpark estimate?
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Old 03-17-2009, 06:30 PM   #19
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She got the job!!!!


Just talked with her now -- she's very excited. No details yet.
All right!

And I was just going to post that it always took me about a month to go from the first interview to hiring someone.
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Old 03-17-2009, 06:39 PM   #20
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I was just about to ask if she wants to work for a company that treats its new hires like that.

How does she tell if her salary & benefits are appropriate or if she's being lowballed? Does the college or other alumni or her professional association give her a ballpark estimate?
Valid point, but it is all about getting into the co/industry you want and then perform - the money always comes if you are valuable.
But as a manager, I always tried to start new hires with as high a salary as I could - trying to keep other co. from swooping in and taking the good ones with more money early on.
She is officially launched! And on St. Paddies no less
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