Dear SafetyXChange Members,

The unreturned phone call is a part of life, something that people have had to live with since Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone. But it assumes a special significance when it happens while we're conducting a job search. You desperately want to call back the employer or contact; but you don't want to be a pest. How do you resolve the dilemma?

Here are two views.

The Job Searcher's Perspective

William, a member of ExecuNet, just completed a successful job search. Here's how he deals with the unreturned phone call problem:

"The best way I've found is to suggest scheduling a follow-up call when you first talk to the person. This way you ensure that the call gets on the person's calendar.

"Still, the solution isn't 100 percent effective. Many folks ignore these follow-up calls, especially if you're not the hot candidate. I can't count the number of unreturned calls and/or emails I've had. The ones that do follow through and call are generally the ones who've `short-listed' you."

The Job Coach's Perspective

Michelle LoBianco is a job coach for ExecuNet. This is what she advises:

"I'm afraid that you can't force an employer to return your call if they're not interested in you.

"But that doesn't mean you shouldn't follow up with an employer regarding the status of the interview you've had. Following up shows that you're interested in continuing your discussions. Ideally, as William points out above, you would have asked for and received information on the timing of the employer's interview process and if and when you can expect to hear back. But if you haven't done this, it's okay to phone in two weeks to seek clarification.

"When you phone, be sure to be positive, confident and professional. If you don't hear anything further after this phone call, it's a bad sign and I would recommend concentrating your energies on other opportunities."

Conclusion

The bottom line: You can't force an employer or contact to return your call or call you after an interview. But scheduling a follow-up call during your initial conversation gives you a marginally better chance at getting a call back. And, at the very least, it gives you an excuse to make the call yourself if the scheduled follow-up call doesn't take place.

Wishing you career success,

Lauryn Franzoni
www.ExecuNet.com

Follow-Up on Follow-Up

By Glenn Demby

How long should you wait to contact an employer after submitting a resume? A leading consulting firm recently put this question to 150 executives with the 1,000 largest corporations in America. Here were their responses:
 

• A week or less: 37 percent
• One to two weeks: 45 percent
• Two to three weeks: 9 percent
• Three weeks or more: 3 percent
• Don't follow up at all: 5 percent
• Don't know: 1 percent

Based on this survey, it looks as if the two-week period after initial contact is the sweet spot to aim for when following up.

Source: Robert Half Technology, www.rhii.com.

ODD JOB

Unusual professions as listed in the U.S. Department of Labor's
Dictionary of Occupational Titles

By Catherine Jones

Psychic Reader - Telephone Psychic

A person who receives phone calls from customers and makes predictions and advice about their lives. Salary: $1,000 to $2,000 a month. Hazards: Most telephone psychic readers work from home, so they face the usual hazards of home-based jobs. They can be injured in falls, fires and electrical accidents. Ergonomics is also an issue, with the possibilities of musculoskeletal disorders resulting from using awkward postures while talking on the phone. Like call center employees, phone psychics are also subject to hearing damage from loud noises transmitted over the phone.

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