Ok so you got the interview, they called you back for seconds, thirds maybe even fourths. They asked for your professional references three weeks ago. They already reached out and completed them as you heard back from several of your former colleagues who claim to have given you high marks. The recruiter called and said they are preparing an offer. You wait and wait and then wait some more and two- week pass and nothing. You are not sure you should call again, email, text or send up a smoke signal but you are beginning to think they have completely forgotten about you. When your job world has gone stone cold silent and you are ready to sign it off, there are a few more things you can do to stir the proverbial job pot before throwing in the towel!
When you are ready to sing “Forget Me Not” here are a couple of things to keep in mind about the job offer process that is not always forgiving to the job seeker:
1- It’s not always about you. You can get paranoid when you wait around for what seems like ages only to hear the sound of crickets in the distance instead of your phone ringing with your start date. People get busy and distracted and sometimes when you think it has everything to do with you it doesn’t. Some companies have to wait for background checks, budget clearance, corporate approvals, which can drag a job offer out for weeks sometimes longer. Just remember there’s more going on behind the scenes that may have nothing to do with whether they liked you or not.
2- Sending Out an S.O.S is like signaling “I’m desperate-hire me already!” That doesn’t mean there isn’t a cool, calm and humorous way to diffuse what’s becoming an increasingly tense situation for you. Give a call, send an email with something like,” You don’t love me anymore?” or something that takes the air out of the situation. Inquiring as to the status of the offer in a non-threatening and subtle way will help move it along or at the very least give you some answers you may not have had before.
3- Call to ask a question. Sometimes when you use a follow up question to inquire about something “you forgot to ask” like the benefits, vacation policy, gym membership (where’s my offer!), helps you open the door for a conversation at which time you can ask the recruiter or hiring manager as to the status of the pending offer. Sometimes the recruiter or hiring manager may think the offer letter already went out and you are the one holding it up! Keep the communication flowing-it’s your responsibility to make sure you follow-up and not theirs!
So even though silence may not always be golden, there could be a good reason behind it when you are waiting for an offer. Don’t frighten yourself into thinking that they have rescinded or have forgotten about you. It could just be the way the company’s process rolls or it could be that you are scaring yourself out of a job offer! Next time you need to follow up, take the initiative and don’t be so nervous that you forget why you are calling!
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