| Topic Name: |
What to do if job posting says "NO CALLS" |
| Message Name: |
Something constructive |
| Date Posted: |
05/06/2002 |
| In Reply To: |
Many of the jobs I have seen listed on job sites say "No calls please." I was told by someone at my college's career center NOT to call in those cases, but a friend of mine says she calls anyway. I would like to call since I hardly hear back from any of the places I apply to. What do you think? Would calling despite this adage show interest and initiative and help get my resume noticed, or will it just annoy prospective employers? |
| Message: |
After reading quite a few posts on this topic it seems that a lot of time / effort has been expended with very little reward -- a very low ROE (return on effort).
I would offer the following -- if you are replying to an advertised job -- and it says no calls -- then don't call.
If you haven't gotten a response within a reasonable amount of time follow-up with an email and ask about the status of the position. In the email indicate that you understand the current job market and that you are excited about the opportunity that you applied for (you could use this contact to explain why you are the perfect candidate for the position -- information that you have obtained from your extensive research of the firm and what you would contribute to firm's future success.
However, I would spend most of my time networking and trying to land jobs in the "hidden job market" -- keep in mind that only 15% of all jobs are filled before they are ever advertised.
I recommend reading the current version of "What Color is your Parachute" by Richard Nelson Bolles. This is the best resource ever written on the subject of job searching. And interestingly enough Bolles advises job-seeekers to focus on people that MAKE the hiring decisions (hiring managers) and not the people who EXECUTE hiring decisions (HR).
--Jefferson
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