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Post Job Interview Wait

M

mikeyredk

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Mar 13, 2003
1,267
1
Had an interview yesterday with a company (Had hour long phone interview the week before) and the manager said he was leaning in my direction (at the start of the face2face) and wanted me to meet some of the people I would be working for. He also stated that he needed the position filled as he has been doing the job since October. I told him I could start on Monday if he needed me to. He stated after the interviews he would make a decision today after talking to HR. I feel good about getting the position this morning when I got up but as the hours tick my with no ring or email my hopes fade.

So its 4PM eastern time, the companies HR is in Colorado (-3 hours). Should I expect they made a decision already; the manager a thirty year veteran at the company states he will contact me via phone regardless when they got one. Should I call him today? around 4:45ish?
 
it's a lot like dating, isn't it. Should I call, shouldn't I call? But, one if the things you should do us follow up with a thank you email. Its always something that should be done.
 
Its a Data analyst position nothing too exciting but, since I graduated college its been difficult for me to get a corporate job. The position basically "manipulates" data (lots of it I was told to expect to do 10k or more line items a day) and get it prepared to send to the suppliers so it can be priced and then submitted to the potential client. Also been told if I get the job I would be helping in cleaning up all of the excel worksheets they use since apparently there gigantic getting as big as 30megs they don't use access very much but, with my experience with it they want me (again if) too help them convert from an excel company to an access company. There were two people doing this job now its only the one person left in october and the manager has been doing his job since he left.
 
mikeyredk said:
Its a Data analyst position nothing too exciting but, since I graduated college its been difficult for me to get a corporate job. The position basically "manipulates" data (lots of it I was told to expect to do 10k or more line items a day) and get it prepared to send to the suppliers so it can be priced and then submitted to the potential client. Also been told if I get the job I would be helping in cleaning up all of the excel worksheets they use since apparently there gigantic getting as big as 30megs they don't use access very much but, with my experience with it they want me (again if) too help them convert from an excel company to an access company. There were two people doing this job now its only the one person left in october and the manager has been doing his job since he left.
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so, in other words, you'll stare at a computer screen all day?
 
If you really want the job, one of the best things to do is to send a thank-you note (not a thank-you email) to those that interviewed you. You don't want it to sound like a love-letter, obviously, just a short sincere thanks for the time they took to grant you an audience.

I've interviewed many people at my current job, and the thank-you note does make a big difference.
 
yeroen said:
If you really want the job, one of the best things to do is to send a thank-you note (not a thank-you email) to those that interviewed you. You don't want it to sound like a love-letter, obviously, just a short sincere thanks for the time they took to grant you an audience.

I've interviewed many people at my current job, and the thank-you note does make a big difference.
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that's sad to me.

seems like a bribe. but yes, i've heard this to be true. even for college visits and interviews now.
 
jng said:
that's sad to me.

seems like a bribe. but yes, i've heard this to be true. even for college visits and interviews now.
Click to expand...

I would not call it a bribe. More it is keeping your name active in their minds. These people are interviewing a lot of people so it gets a little lost on who is who is who.

The thank you email while nice gets lost. Some of these people get 50+ emails a day so the thank you ones get a little lost. The cards are just rare and will some times make the difference because your name will come up again.

The biggest trick to getting hired is to keep your name on their mind. Be persentant. Heck that is how I got the job at the company I am at. The head of HR remember me and remember how I talk to him every time he was on campus for 3 semesters straight. My GPA is lower than what they normally go after. I did not have the type of internship they go after and yet I got an interview while people I know who have look better on paper in every way than me did not get one.

It is all about keeping your name and face on their mind.
 
yeroen said:
(not a thank-you email)
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This depends a lot on culture. I've received thank-you emails, but very, very rarely a thank you note, and at least on this coast one wonders what century the candidate is living in. Let's just say if you're applying for a high-tech job and your responses on the technical interview leave you on the bubble, sending dead trees won't work in your favor. Besides which, the decision may have been made by the time the USPS can work its magic, so if you've got some primo sucking up in mind, you may want to move quickly.

I wouldn't say the thank you emails get lost, mostly because the reason I give candidates my address at the end of the interview is so that they can ask any followup questions that may spring to mind after they've gone. Therefore, I'm generally on the lookout for messages from people I've interviewed recently. To be blunt, if I'm not, it probably means you made such a weak impression that a thank you note won't help.

If you're up for a job at a stodgy financial institution, yes, send paper. Tech startup, not such an advantage. For my own interviews (as a candidate) I've actually taken flak in the past for my own insistence on wearing a suit to interviews. Point is, consider carefully what you observed of the company culture during the interview and make your own judgment call whether paper is warranted.
 
From personal experience I can say that a brief thank-you note has a positive effect. Don't write anything about wanting the job, just thank the recruiter for their efforts and consideration. Make them feel like you're thanking them for their time and effort out of sincerity and not just sucking up to get the job.
 
Gelfin said:
If you're up for a job at a stodgy financial institution, yes, send paper. Tech startup, not such an advantage. For my own interviews (as a candidate) I've actually taken flak in the past for my own insistence on wearing a suit to interviews. Point is, consider carefully what you observed of the company culture during the interview and make your own judgment call whether paper is warranted.
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Agreed you have to have a feel for the culture of the job you're applying for. I'm in the entertainment industry and would never wear a suit to an interview (nice shirt, nice jeans, polished boots). I do send "thank you" letters though and if you drop the letter in the mail after the interview at the post office nearest the interview it will get delivered the next day. I see the thank letter in the same vein as having my cover letter and resumé on nice paper as opposed to just e-mailing it (unless of course the position specifically asks for e-mails).


Lethal
 
LethalWolfe said:
Agreed you have to have a feel for the culture of the job you're applying for. I'm in the entertainment industry and would never wear a suit to an interview (nice shirt, nice jeans, polished boots). I do send "thank you" letters though and if you drop the letter in the mail after the interview at the post office nearest the interview it will get delivered the next day. I see the thank letter in the same vein as having my cover letter and resumé on nice paper as opposed to just e-mailing it (unless of course the position specifically asks for e-mails).


Lethal
Click to expand...

When I was handing out my resume I put it on some pretty heavy vanilla colored paper. It was resume paper. I liked the non white color because it made it stand out from the 100+ resume they where collecting that day at the job fair. Plus it was some pretty heavy stuff.
 
Update!

Well I just got off the phone with the manager and they stated that they reopened the candidate pool :( (not that it was closed to begin with.) He stated because of what the other two managers that I interviewed with had to say about me; they are looking for other candidates! (heck I could tell one of them just wanted to get the heck out of there he was looking behind me for some reason constantly but don't want to bad mouth any of there senior management) and he wouldn't state what they said which is reasonable coming from a thirty year veteran at the company. The reason why its taking so long was because of the incumbent was horrible and they don't want to make the same mistake and looking for perfection (HR not him). So out of no where I suggested a working interview which I think shocked me for then it shocked him :eek:. AHHGHGHGHGH just give me the job already!!
 
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