Waiting for the Interview Call

Waiting chair edge...

You've job searched, updated & drafted a new resumé, posted it to your Monster.com profile, applied for a few positions online, & mailed some out in the mailbox. Now sitting on the edge of the favorite chair, holding your phone, telepathically trying to MAKE IT RING. It isn't going to be instantaneous, but if you've drafted the resumé correctly, it could be.

Just to share a little about my experience the last few weeks. I was let go from a position first thing Monday morning (and they wonder why we HATE Mondays). I spent the day updating my resumé, my Monster.com profile, and searching for jobs.

Found one posted online, applied after re-drafting a resumé that met the position being filled. They called Tuesday for an interview on Wednesday. Still spent Tuesday searching for more jobs. Not just online or in the newspaper, but by driving around a some towns nearby to see who had put out the "Now Hiring" signs. I took a couple of hard copy prints with me, just in case I found a place to drop it off & apply.

While driving to the interview on Wednesday morning, I got a call from a recruiter from another recruiter, for an interview on Friday. After the 1st interview on Wednesday, they told me that they would call me for a 2ND interview by noon if they wanted. More chair edge sitting at 11:55 AM, commanding the phone to ring. It came exactly at noon. The 2nd interview was a full day one (8-5) in the field, followed by a 3RD interview. And, they both would be on Thursday. Very intense set of interviews. At the end of the 3rd, they told me that they would call me by noon on Friday if they were going to offer me the position.

I had the other interview on Friday too. Knowing that the Friday one would be over by 11, I felt comfortable that I could answer the phone at noon if it rang. I went to the 2nd interview in the morning, and WAS able to answer the phone at precisely noon when they called and told me to report to the office on Tuesday at 7:45 AM.

To summarize:

• Monday of that week I was let go
• Tuesday I got the call for an interview
• Wednesday I had an interview, and a call from another company
• Thursday, a full day field 2nd interview, a 3rd interview that evening
• Friday, the 2nd interview AND was given (not offered) a position from the first company

Let go from a job on Monday, working by Friday in a higher paying career with potential. Yeah, it was a HELL of a week. But it meant that I had to trade in my tool belt for wearing a suit and tie each and every day. Will I put myself through that again? Hell yes, if I have to.

My key points to all of this, are that it might not be "instantaneous," but with some of your own elbow grease (and fingertips), you can help expedite the calls. They won't ALL turn out to be for positions you are searching, but getting the calls coming in means you are on the right path to finding what you are looking for. Don't accept an interview for a position that you already know that you don't want. It wastes times away from looking for the one that you would accept.

Happy hunting... and good luck...