What To Do When The Recruiter Doesnt Call Back

What To Do When The Recruiter Doesnt Call BackWhat To Do When The Recruiter Doesnt Call BackINBOX Hi, Jewel. For the 2nd time in 2 weeks a recruiter found me and called me. I heard all about the positions, said I was interested, and they said they would arrange next steps. But both times Ive heard nothing, and I cant get either of them on the phone, plus Ive sent emails.When the phone rings and the email pings, the emotional rush is on. Its like, Finally Yes Somebody wants to take a look at me and have an actual conversationThat high you get when a real part calls you about a real opportunity can quickly turn into a low when nothing comes to pass. While there isnt always a cut and dried solution to tracking down that particular ghost recruiter and getting them to respond, you can devote your energy to other elements of your job search that wont leave you waiting and hoping, but will have you more squarely on the path to the roles you ideally want.What Do You Ideally Want, Anyway?The answer is not just that you want the person to call you. That only seems nice on the surface. Plus, you cant control what other people do and when they do it, so dont lose mental energy trying to, and definitely dont give away your power.Take control of your conversations. Key to doing so over and over when youre in active job search mode is to learn how to clearly, engagingly say what you want.The fundamental question, though the actual words can be phrased 100 different ways, is, So, what do you do? The standard reply most of the time when youre speaking in a conversation is to provide some factual description of your current or most recent job.Nope.You werent asked what a project manager does, or what a marketing director does. The question is, What do YOU do? Lets take that 1 step further and pretend the question is, What do you want to do? The answer to that should automatically veer away from history (which is boring, sorry), and lean toward whats going on right now today.Her es how a clear, engaging response can sound Im in chemical engineering, most recently for DuPont. Now Im looking at companies like Astra Zeneca, McNeil, and Johnson & Johnson for Senior Researcher roles, because what I really want to do is have my hands on a scientific breakthrough that impacts public health.That answer conveys excitement it sounds like youre on the edge of pouring your heart into meaningful work. That answer also clearly tells he other person where you used to be, but much more importantly where youre looking to go. When youre specific, the other persons wheels may start turning, and they may be able to provide you with useful information or a relevant contact.Once You Know What To Say, How Do You Say It To Get Results?Direct contact with a relevant decision maker means all the difference between your job search being a long and winding road, or being the shortest straight line from A to B.It matters how you say what you want and how you ask for help, because youl l either get the help or youll continue to get ignored.Find something in common with the person youre approaching. Jobseekers who get hired fast will not only research the company, but they will also research the individual.Some Internet stalking will take you far here. The Google Machine is the prime place to start. See what comes up when you enter the persons name articles, media mentions, awards, etc. Twitter is your next best resource. What does the person like to talk about when they get social? And dont overlook LinkedIn. Look at the persons activity and groups to find a point of commonality.Eliminate extra thought and extra work for the person youre approaching, especially when you dont know them. Instead of wasting time and space with a preamble telling them how much you value their time, show them you value their time by getting to the point of what you want to ask.Additionally, ask for 1 thing, and 1 thing only. That 1 thing is not, if you know of anybody. I know a lot of anybodys. But if I have to invest the time to wonder and guess at who you might need, the response will take a lot longer if a response comes at all.Heres what an ask can look like Joe I saw your post on the 3 steps you to raise team engagement, and Im going to steal your 2 strategy for myself Regarding a post I came across for a Researcher II role with your organization, and I applied. My background is chemical engineering, most recently for DuPont. I really want to have my hands on a scientific breakthrough that impacts public health. Are you open to a 5-minute call this week? Id certainly appreciate your insights.Make a regular habit of submitting your application, and virtually at the same time, reaching out to a relevant person with a clear, simple message. This puts some control back in your hands, so you dont continue to be slave to the job boards, and living on a hope and a prayer that a recruiter may call.Successful job search isnt an either / or scenario. Should I apply o nline or should I email the decision maker? People get hired because they take control of the things they can control in their job search, and they execute with an and / plus mentality. Im going to identify the role(s) I want, apply the regular way, then find a way into the organization through a real human being. Its important to do not just those steps, but all your steps in the right order. Find out what you need to do, and when to do it with maximum impact, using our new Cheat Sheet over and over again pursue the opportunities they know perfectly well theyre qualified for, and land those jobs.