Calling after submitting a resume

I was speaking with a close friend has been out of work a for a few weeks now & thinking of moving closer to the city to look for work. Anyways we were chatting about looking for work when he mentioned that after every resume that he submits he ALWAYS follows up with a call into the person he sent the resume to a week or so later to check up.

I was baffled; I have never done this before. I thought this was to be a no no or was I wrong? He went on to say how he swears by it.

I am curious on everyone's opinion on this, is this a good/bad common thing to do?

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Comments

sdyess

I most definitely follow up, but if I hadn't heard anything within a 2 week time frame, I do call. I usually get the answer they are still interviewing, to me it is better than silence.

skrpune

this is one of those things that is hit or miss...you can either be seen as a go-getter OR someone who's entirely too pushy and annoying!

Following up after interviews is great, but following up on every single resume might be overkill, and in lots of cases you don't even know who you sent your resume in to or who's really reviewing it. If you want to do a quick follow up via phone or email to verify receipt and see what the status of the review/decision process is, then I guess that's ok, but be brief and respectful and don't be pushy. But even this may be seen as annoying by some since many job ads state "no phone calls" and it's pretty much assumed that if you don't get called, you're not a candidate they want to see. Also, in the technology arena, I'd say that it's assumed that if you don't get a "delivery failed" message for a resume you emailed in, or if you do a confirmation page for resumes faxed in, then it got where it was meant to go.

networker050184

skrpune wrote: »

this is one of those things that is hit or miss...you can either be seen as a go-getter OR someone who's entirely too pushy and annoying!

That is my take on it also. It really comes down to the person you are contacting. While one person might think you are motivated and following up, another may see it as annoying and a reason to toss your resume aside.

nielpeel

I can't believe the hoops that you have to jump through in the US to get a job, and all of the protocol that seems to go with interviews for even the most basic of positions (create/send resume, phone interview, send thankyou card, first interview, send thankyou card, second interview, send thankyou card, wait for job offer/make follow-up call after determined amount of time).

Correct me if I'm wrong but it sounds like this is how the system operates from the posts I've read. Is this a sign of the times, where employers can afford to be picky, or has it always been like this?

In the UK - from my limited experience - you send your CV, get an interview - then either hear nothing/get a sorry letter, or get the job.

networker050184

nielpeel wrote: »

In the UK - from my limited experience - you send your CV, get an interview - then either hear nothing/get a sorry letter, or get the job.

That has been my experience as well here in the US. Some people just like to go above and beyond to set themselves apart from the slackers like us

It is not some set in stone process in the US that you have to do all of that, just some peoples preference.

nielpeel

Thanks for setting me straight on that one. I guess that any edge you can get over the competition, especially in a competitive jobs market, is worth the effort.