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| Image by: Cafe Fenix |
Navigating a job search in your career is tough - from the application process to anticipating a call back for an interview - it's tough. You are focused on writing your cover letter, and resume, and submitting an application, to land an interview.
Then, you finally get an email from a hiring manager inviting you to a screener interview- you are excited. Now, your focus shifts from applying to preparing for the initial conversations.
Oftentimes, prospective candidates dismiss the attention that is needed during the hiring process. By attention, I mean ensuring that you are following through and showing up as your best self. This means taking the time and effort to research the company or people you’ll be interviewing, responding to hiring managers' emails promptly, showing up 5-10 minutes earlier to either a virtual or i-person interview, and sending a follow-up thank you email afterward (yes, thank you letters still matter!).
Believe it or not, giving the attention to the hiring process it deserves helps to show prospective
employees how you will be as a future employee. Let me illustrate using the hiring process steps:
1. Invitation to interview- you are sent an email inviting you to a phone screen. The hiring manager gives you multiple dates and times for the week. Let’s say you are busy prioritizing other responsibilities and don’t respond until 2-3 days later. Afterwards, the hiring manager proceeds to move forward in scheduling those that responded immediately and now you have a more difficult time hearing back from them.
This delay may signal to the hiring manager that you may not be interested in the role or effective in following through and if given the job, how long will you take to respond to a coworker's request?
2. After the interview- you made an amazing impression during the interview and so you assume that’s all you need to set yourself apart- they should automatically know you are a good hire. Absolutely not! They want to see someone that is invested in knowing about the position and organization. In other words, someone that can communicate this interest after an interview. What better way to set yourself apart then by sending a thank you letter acknowledging the time they took to meet you and learn about who you are. When you send a thank you email, you are letting the hiring manager know the kind of person you are- a considerate and appreciative person.
3. During the offer- Congratulations! they like you and think you are a good fit for the role. Yay, you received an offer! However, it may not be exactly what you expected and you want to counter offer. It’s best to take your time to review what they sent and give at least 24-48 hours to counter offer. What this shows the employer is that you’re courteous, respectful, and easy to work with.
The job search process is challenging especially when navigating the application to the hiring process. Just remember, navigating the job search is equally important as the hiring process.
Best of luck!