It can be lovelier the second time around
➔ We’ve talked before about the importance of keeping good job-search records. What people you’ve contacted. What companies you’ve contacted. Where you’ve left/submitted your resume. Who you need to call back and when. The list goes on.
On the one hand, the reasoning behind this seems somewhat obvious. But there is a hidden treasure here.
Been there. Done that.
How often do you hear someone say something like “I contacted XYZ Company. There wasn’t anything there. I’m not calling them again.”? Too often that would be the expected answer. And, when you ask when they contacted XYZ, the answer is usually in months.
So why the reluctance to drink from the same well a second time? Just because XYZ didn’t need someone three, four or six months ago, doesn’t mean that nothing has come open since then. How do you know that the person who holds your ideal job won’t just pick up and walk away next week? You don’t.
What about the scenario where you came in second (or maybe third) in the race for a particular position? Yes, someone else got the job, but… did they stay? Or, did they leave after a month or two? Or, did it not work out and they were asked to leave after a month or two? Don’t think for a minute that it never plays out that way.
Perhaps something else has opened up (or is about to open). That something else actually may be more to your liking.
And, if you don’t keep in touch with XYZ, you’ll never know. There are no expiration dates on contacts. Of course you don’t want to become a pest either. However, reaching out to someone six-to-eight weeks later does not cross the line.
It can be a delicate balance to be sure. Persistent without being a pest. Aggressive without being overbearing.
Companies change. People change. Hiring needs and patterns change. The one thing that never changes is… change.