The Best Way To Follow Up

Steve Kobs, a human resources manager at Hanley-Wood Custom Publishing, a Minneapolis-based marketing communications firm, offers this advice: "If you'd like to follow up with a company after submitting your resume, one week later is a reasonable time to do it," he says.

And the best way to follow up?

"I prefer e-mail," says Kobs. "If you call me on the phone and ask if we've made a hiring decision, you put me in an awkward position if I have to tell you bad news … or if I've forgotten who you are. Candidates who follow up by e-mail show respect for my time, which I appreciate," he says.

Andrea Hoover, CEO of JobLynx Online, offers additional ways to set yourself apart when applying for jobs online.

First, when submitting resumes online, be sure to use a professional-looking e-mail address, not the one at work or a cutesy one like ilikebowling@gutterballs.com

Her follow-up methods, which are more aggressive than what an HR professional might suggest, include the following:

• The day after you submit your resume to a company, e-mail them a quick note asking if they received and were able to read your resume, or if they require a different format for their database


• The day after that, print and send a stationery version of your resume by U.S. Mail to the hiring authority, along with a copy to any other company contacts, for review and filing for future opportunities


• One week after your initial contact, send an e-mail to the hiring authority inquiring if you can supply any further information not included in your original resume


• Finally, around 10 days after your online application, send another e-mail asking for the phone number of the hiring authority, since you are considering several other offers. Attach your resume to this e-mail so they won't need to hunt for it. And ask for a convenient time to contact them for a brief phone interview

Whatever method you use, your goal in following up aggressively is to sell your abilities and experience. Push for the face-to-face interview as soon as possible. And get that job!

Are you kidding?

Reaching the end of a job interview, the Human Resources Manager asked a young engineer who was fresh out of engineering, "What starting salary were you thinking about?"

The Engineer said, "In the neighborhood of $125,000 a year, depending on the benefits package."

The interviewer said, "Well, what would you say to a package of 5 weeks vacation, 14 paid holidays, full medical and dental, company matching retirement fund to 50% of salary, and a company car leased every 2 years - say, a red Corvette?"

The Engineer sat up straight and said, "Wow! Are you kidding?"

The interviewer replied, "Yeah, but you started it."