Can You Wait a Minute?

Waiting – Not exactly the best use of your time

➔ Waiting. It’s one of the most challenging parts of a job search. You submit your resume and you wait. You go in for an interview, and then you have to wait. You leave a message for someone who may be a hot job prospect, or someone who can be a great networking contact, and you wait. You know you’re on the short list after an interview expecting a job offer, and you wait.

“I have to check with the hiring manager.” And you wait. “I need the go-ahead from management.” And you wait. “I haven’t heard back yet from HR.” And you wait.

Everything comes to he who…

Remember the old efficiency experts from the 1950s and 1960s? The guys who ran around companies with clipboards and stopwatches, meticulously measuring how much time everything took. If one of them measured how much time job seekers spent waiting… we don’t need to wait for the answer. We know. It’s a lot.

Most job seekers see themselves as being professional, nice, not pushy, etc. Rightfully so.

But is waiting a good strategy? There is that old adage: “Everything comes to he who waits.” While that may be true, there is also: “He who hesitates is lost.”

What’s a body to do?

The bad news is that there probably is no definitive right answer. There are so many variables involved.

There are times when it’s prudent to wait. After all, you don’t want to be a pest. Yet, waiting in all instances isn’t good either. The successful job seeker is assertive without being overly aggressive. Demonstrating a certain level of assertiveness is typically a good thing. It shows determination, interest, passion, etc.

As we stated earlier, waiting for a call, an interview, an offer, a lead, etc. is not a good strategy.

More tips.