Retracing your job-search steps can pay off
➔ 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. Etc. 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, that 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.
How do you know that the person you first contacted hasn’t left the company? You don’t.
And, if you don’t keep in touch, 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.
You’re not wearing out your welcome if, before you leave, you ask if you can check back with them in six to eight weeks. Or two to three months. You’re keeping that contact, that company alive. If they agree to you reaching out again, you’re not being a pest, you’re demonstrating an interest in the company.
Companies change. People change. Hiring needs and patterns change. The one thing that never changes is… change.
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