Should You Call a Company After You Send Your Resume?

You’ve been looking for, not just a job in the Healthcare IT field, but a career, you want to do something with yourself that enables you to pay your bills but also provides a purpose. And now you’ve found you’ve absolute dream opportunity, have sent your application in, and . . . nothing.

So should you call a company after you’ve sent them your resume?  There is no ‘one size fits all’ answer to this question, and there are numerous variables at play that can affect the outcome, and every employer is a little bit different. It seems like it’s impossible to know if you are wasting your time by following up on a resume you have sent, but maybe it’s the thing that will give you a leg up over the other candidates.

It really depends…

In general, it really does depend according to some experts. It depends on how you sent in your application, if you know or can find a contact person, and just how much you actually want the job – is it really worth all the effort you put in? Here are some suggestions that may help when deciding to follow up on a sent resume.

How did you send in your resume?

How did you get your resume to the prospective employer in the first place? Did you have a contact person or did you send it in through an online contact form, or did you send it through the company website job page? If you know someone in the company, you can get help with contacting HR or you can find someone from the company Facebook page and get in touch with them that way. You’re not being creepy, you’re being resourceful.

When should you follow up on your resume?

Some recruiters and placement agencies will advise you to submit a resume, and then follow up with a phone call or email. It can show ambition and enthusiasm, as well as set you apart from other candidates who do not bother to follow up. Employers will like that you are eager to get started and are interested in the position.

But, it is certainly appropriate to send a letter or an email a week or so after you submit your resume, especially if you have not heard anything from the company. Who knows, your resume may have fallen through the cracks and a phone call is just the thing that they need to know how interested you are. But, if you have done a follow up phone call or email after sending a resume, and you have not heard anything for a few weeks, it would be best to conserve your energy and not waste time on something that probably will not happen. There are other opportunities out there for you, so you just have to go and find them.

When you follow up make sure that you are polite. Polite messages reinforce your strong interest in the job, as well as showcasing your ability to handle important Healthcare IT topics. Every day people get jobs because they stayed the course and fought for what they wanted, maybe today is your day!

About the author

Erin Kennedy

Erin Kennedy, CPRW, CERW, BS/HR, is a Certified Professional Resume Writer/Career Consultant, and the President of Professional Resume Services. She is a nationally published writer and contributor of nine best-selling career books.

2 Comments

  • Erin,

    Thanks for addressing a question that I get asked all the time! I totally agree – there is no “one size fits all” answer. I’m partial to email followups, myself, because they are unobtrusive but let me know the candidate’s still interested. It’s a fine line between persistence and annoyance!

    We have several recruiters on our blogging team – what’s your opinion?

    G.

  • Hello! I’m a Recruiter and I agree there isn’t a one-size fits all approach. I have to say that I agree with Gwen regarding emailing a recruiter as an unobtrusive way to follow up. I was recently on vacation without my phone (yes, I somehow am able to disconnect!) and I received three voicemails in three days from the same candidate. Just email me and you’ll get my out of office!

    I do love follow up from candidates, but be appropriate about it. I have a full calendar too and sometimes I just need 24 hours to return your call. It’ll happen I promise!!

    Cassie

Click here to post a comment
   

Categories