Follow-Up Letters and Calls and Job Offers 30 What you do after a job interview is critical, and Module 30 suggests good strategies for continued ‘success. After completing the module, you should be able to Apply strategies for follow-up phone Lo 30-3 Apply strategies for enthusiasm on calls and letters. the job. Solve dilemmas with job offers out- 4 Develop behaviors for future job side of your first choice. application success. ‘hat you do after the interview can determine whether you get the job. One woman wanted to switch from banking, where she was working in corporate relations, to advertising. The ad agency interviewer expressed doubts about her qualifications. Immediately after leaving the agency, ‘she tracked down a particular book the interviewer had mentioned he was looking for but had been. unable to find. She presented it to him—and was hired.’ ‘Xerox expects applicants for sales and repair positions to follow up within 10 days. If they don’t, ‘the company assumes that the person wouldn't follow up with clients.” If the employer sends j Se{508 Unit Seven Job Hunting Goto www.careerviedu/ for examples o follow-up Jeter afer an intrvw. Fy Employee rectuter Jerry Foss maintans that staying in ‘ouch attra joo intevion is Clcal and starts with ‘what the net steps ae aaa ‘connecting to the rerstor ‘trough Likedin, ‘Source: ny Fos, “8 Non ‘ores Wis Flow Up Aer ‘inte Forbes Nay 30, Goto {or bot ro ane fee-based What should | say in a follow-up phone call or letter? 090-1 > Reinforce positives and overcome any negatives. tera first interview, make follow-up phone calls to reinforce positives from the first inter- view, to overcome any negatives, and to get information you can use to persuade the inter- viewer to hire you. Career coach Kate Wendleton suggests asking the following questions: + “Is there more information I can give you?” + “T've been giving a lot of thought to your project and have some new ideas. Can we ‘meet to go over them?” + “Where do I stand? How does my work compare with the work others presented?” A letter after an office visits essential to thank your hosts for their hospitality as well as to send in receipts for your expenses. A well-writien letter can be the deciding factor that gets you the job.“ The letter should + Remind the interviewer of what he or she liked in you. + Counter any negative impressions that may have come up at the interview. + Use the jargon of the company and refer to specific things you leamed during your interview or saw during your visit. + Be enthusiastic, + Refer to the next move, whether you'll wait to hear from the employer or whether you ‘want to call to learn about the satus of your application Be sure the letter is well-written and error-free. One employer reports, often interviewed people whom liked, ... but hee follow-up leer were filled with sisspeled words and names and oter inaccuracies. They blew thir chance withthe follow-up letex? Figure 30.1 is an example of a follow-up letter after an office visit. What do | do if my first offer isn't the one | most want? Lo 30-2 > Phone your first-choice employer to find out where you are on that list. Some employers offer jobs at the end of the office visit. In other cases, you may wait for ‘weeks or even months to hear. Employers almost always offer jobs orally. You must say something in response immediately, so plan some strategies. If your frst offer isnot from your frst choice, express your pleasure at being offered the job, but do not accept it on the phone. “That's great! I assume I have two weeks to let you ‘know?" Some companies offer “exploding” job offers that expire in one week or less,” but ‘most firms will give you two weeks. Then call the other companies you're interested in. Explain, “'ve just got a job offer, but I'd rather work for you, Can you tell me what the status of my application is?” Nobody will put that information in writing, but almost everyone will tell you over the phone. With this information, you're in a better position to decide whether to accept the original offer. ‘Some applicants have been successful in getting two weeks extended to several weeks or even months. Certainly if you cannot decide by the deadline, itis worth asking for more time: The worst the company can do is say no. Ifyou do try to keep a company hanging, be prepared for weekly phone calls asking you if you've decided yet. ‘Make your acceptance contingent upon a written job offer confirming the terms. That letter should spell out not only salary but also fringe benefits and any special provisions you have negotiated. If something is missing, call the interviewer for clarification: “You ‘aid that Pd be reviewed for a promotion and higher salary in six months, but that isn’t in‘Module 30 Follow-Up Lottrs and Calls and Joo Ofers 509 Figure 30.1 Follow-Up Letter after an Office Visit 405 West College Street, Apt. 201 ‘Thibodaux, LA 70301 ature April 2, 2013 — ‘Mr. Robert Land, Account Manager Sive Associates 378 Norman Boulevard Cincinnati, OH 48528 Dear Mr. Land: After visiting Sive Associates last week, I'meven more sure that writing direct mail is the career for me. I've always been able to brainstorm ideas, but sometimes when I had to focus on one feioeto idea for a class project, 1 wasn'tsure which idea was best. It was fascinating to see “ese how you make direct mail scientific as well as creative by testing each new creative swe'd —) package against the control. I can understand how pleased Linda Hayes was when “ov (she leamed that her new package for Smithsonian beat the control. digo "ee" Seeing Kelly, Luke, and Gene collaborating on the Sesame Street package gave me some sense of the tight deadlines you're under. As you know, I've learned to meet deadlines, not only for my class” assignments, but also in working on Nicholls’ femme newspaper. The award | won for my feature on the primary election suggests that my ‘rv quality blds up even when the deadlines ght! ©") ‘Thank you for your hospitality while T was in Cincinnati. You and your wife made iy stay very pleasant. I especially appreciate the time the two of you took to help ime find information about apartments that are accessible to wheelchairs. Cincinnati seems lke avery liveable city. poste npc. Tm excited about « career in direct mail and about the oss o joining Sine Secs Associates. I look forward to hearing from you soon! hee silhappen ext — eters towhat wl happen (pin Frer— Gina Fe ite request for rinburseaein PS: Wreere (608) 355-2948 0 de-enphasla Focuses on tho2h prone rot the soot of the trp. "ure" BS, My expenses totaled $454, Enclosed are receipts for my plane fare from New Orleans to Cincinnati ($367), the taxi to the airport in Cincinnati ($30), and the bus from Thibodaux to New Orleans ($57). Encl.: Receipts for ExpensesNEETU TUT eer re Being Enthusiastic Every employer wants employees who are enthusiastic about their work. Enthusiastic people scem more energetic than others; they're more fun to be around. The more enthusiasm you show, the better you'll doin job interviews and on the job itself. It's easiest to show enthusiasm when you really fel it. Don’t setle for “just a paycheck.” In addition to meeting your finan- cial needs, te ideal job would let you Use te skills you want to use. ‘Work with the kind of people you want tobe around, ‘Work with a produc, service, or idea that interests you, Have te level of responsibilty you want. Build knowledge and skills so you'll be even more employ- able in the future ‘+ Achieve a goal that matters While you may not get all ofthese factors ina single job offer, you probably can get the ones that matter most to you—if you ‘know what they ae. 510 ‘Seeming enthusiastic is easy for some outgoing people. If you're naturally shy or reserved, showing your enthusiasm may fee! like “acting” a first. If you're reserved, + Smile. Lean forward as you talk ‘Put lots of energy into your voice. Vary pace, tone, and volume. + Use energy in body movements. Gesture while you sit stil, ‘Walk quickly. (In some company cultures, run.) ‘+ Let your comments show your interest. Show that you've done your homework. Volunteer to work on issues. Talk to people about issues informally as well as in meetings. ‘+ Participate fully in games and activities designed to energize ‘workers. Think of ways to showease your talents to help energize others. Southwest Arnos employees hold a pop raly marking ‘Southwest's new service to Pittsburgh international Airport. Opportunites for employees to show enthusiasm can Create excitement and help ‘employees bond.‘Module 20 Follow-Up Letters end Cals and Job Ofers 811 the letter.” You have more power to resolve misunderstandings now than you will after six ‘months or a year on the job. (x When you've accepted one job, let the other places you visited know that you're no | Wa) longer interested. Then they can go to their second choices. If you're second on someone else's list, you'll appreciate other candidates’ removing themselves so the way is clear for you Follow-Up Letters Ifyou already havea job, you may decide to wait unl your desired employer docs Alteran ton vst offer you a job. Figure 30.2 is an example of a letter telling a company that the candidate is still interested, Is there anything else | should do? Lo 30-4 > Reflect on your successes, keep good records, and be excited about your future! Getting the job you want is the start of your career or its next important phase. Celebrate ‘your accomplishment—you deserve it. Later, take a few moments to reflect on things you might improve next time. Could you make your résumé or cover letter stronger? How might you even better prepare for future job interviews? Start a file with the answers, and include copies of job application materials. Every three to six months, revisit the file to reflect and to update documents. Jot notes down ‘about what you learn. ~ Know that you are a work in progress. Navigate your career course better by answering | these questions periodically ‘+ How have your habits, expectations, and goals changed? ‘+ Reming thainteniowor of ‘+ What do you want from your job or career in the next year? Five years? Ten years? Corset Macrae ee! “an easi to pronounce name" (Ges people an advantage in , ‘he workpace. Researchers ‘The secret of success ‘at Now York Univers and ‘he Unneraiy of Meboume found tht layers in prtcu, rose more quid to igh postions infims ftheirnarne ‘wre, “Tho fic is not MSA ato snirtetaray ET YN sheer ba dixsiahalh')) eee : Etro ros coz, EIS 5 forsee tty ry ae rv tov wih on ‘they use—a more formal and conic rare ore tt ‘Sorenson scx ee Seu: Be," Samosa Gurge r terra 1820 Senn been wetporone wie ‘Ziggy © 1909 Ziggy & Fionds. printed by permission of rame-2 1800805 Universal cick All fghts reserved.512 Unit Seven Joo Hunting Figure 30.2 Letter Expressing Continued Interest in a Position 4581 Sand Hill De Sige epace your addrees, Fullerton, CA92842 date nfenyoudont use tiered May 14,2012 ‘Mr. Adam Phillips Benner Electronics 1715 Ridgeview Pkwy. ‘San Diego, CA91325-5472 ear Me. Philips: Sunmarce SFC" Fue wocks ago, sent a résumé andjob application letter to Benner Etectronics forthe 1°77 position of Regional Sales Manager but have net heard from anyone. Iwanted you to ‘know Iam sil interested nthe position and am available for an interview. aa Since submiting my materials Iwas awarded a“Gold Medal of Achievement” from my “oy nerens present employer fr outstanding sales n Api Ted the Orange County group in ye navel Semicon sales, with more than 45,00 units sold for ttl of 8,70. ae jaroearain [would like to discuss how I might put my energy and enthusiasm to work as Benner Electron’ now Regional Sales Manager If ou woul ket schedule an interview, please et me ko Sincerely, Maria Alvarez Maria Alvarez 714-555-1219 Writers phone rumor + How has your job field changed, and what should you do to stay current in it? + How committed are you to staying in your present career? If you want to change careers, why? Always keep accurate records throughout the job application and follow-up process, including receipts. Some job hunting expenses are tax deductible. For instance, you might be able to claim postage, photocopying, or résumé preparation costs incurred if you are looking for a job in the same occupation as your last one.” Be sure to consult the Internal Revenue Service or a tax expert forthe final say on the matter. Stay connected to your professional network. Stay in touch with people willing to give you good references. Make sure you have up-to-date contact information. ‘Thank the people who helped you—in writing whenever possible. Think about how you ‘might help someone else when you have the opportunity. Go do a great job!Use follow-up phone calls to reinforce positives from the first Interview, to overcome any negatives, and to get information you can use to persuade the interviewer to hire you. (LO 30-1) ‘follow-up ter shonld (LO 30-1) ‘+ Remind te interviewer of what he or she liked in you. + Counter any negative impressions that may have come up at the interview. + Use the jargon of the company and refer to specific things you learned during your interview or saw during your visit. + Be enthusiastic, Refer to the next move you'll make. IT your fet o's fom you it choi, cal to ter companies you're interested in to ask about the status of your application. (LO 30-2) Module 30 Folow-Up Letts and Calis and Job Otters 813 Summary of Learning Objectives ‘To be more enthusiastic, (LO 30-3) Smile. Lean forward as you talk. Put lots of energy into your voice. Use energy in body movements. [Let your comments show your interest. Participate fully in games and activites designed to energize workers (Once you get the job you want, reflect on your successes, keep ‘good records, and be excited about your future, (LO 30-4) Check into whether aay of your job-hunting expenses are tax deductible. (LO 30-4) ‘Thank the people who helped you, and help someone else when you can. (LO 30-4) Go do a great job! (LO 30-4)