Tanu Van DE Bunte tells you to keep it together when you don’t hear back from your Dram Job
Waiting to hear back from a job application can be painful, to say the least. For most, it’s a nail-biting, nerve-jangling experience. In this economic climate, you have to jostle with many other CVs just for an interview. At the very least, you’ll need to find some way to make yours stick out, while your cover needs to narrate the events and accomplishments laid out in your CV. That story should explain how your past experiences have been leading up to this moment, to this job. That’s no easy task. Remember Eddie Murphy’s mantra in Bowfinger: K.I.T. (Keep It Together).
Should you find the job of your dreams, always call with questions before applying. At this stage in the game, there are no silly questions; the main purpose is to get a good idea of the job and of the skills you’ll need to do it successfully. Even if you only get a repetition of the job description, you may get a better understanding of the main skills required. You can then adapt your cover letter such that you are positioned as proficient in the highlighted skills. If you hear back and do get invited for an interview, then great! What, though, if you are politely thanked for your interest and sent on your way? After spending a respectable period of mourning (certainly no more than a day in bed), compose yourself and call the company’s HR. Not to tell them off, of course, but to ask why you were rejected and where they found your application lacking. This might help you to apply for jobs that are a better match for your CV in the future.
If you were seriously considered and ultimately outshined by another candidate, request that the company keep your CV in mind for future vacancies. After all, people remember a voice much better than a typed, A4 sheet (even if it is typographically creative). Think of your chat with the HR manager or company representative as a fishing trip for future vacancies. It might be a way to make a situation more palatable. Do remember to mask the smell of your disappointment. Was it your letter that was found wanting? Or your work experience? With online education booming, there is always the didactic method for the committed. Unless you start rambling on about the weather, then you have everything to gain. Never tell them what a mistake they made, but rather say that you would appreciate another chance. Good luck and K.I.T.!
Think of your chat with the HR manager or company representative as a fishing trip for future vacancies. It might be a way to make a situation more palatable.
Volume 2 Issue 2
