Still haven't heard from them

[yk2366]

I've had my second interview last Wednesday and still have not heard from them. Do you think it's okay for me to contact them tomorrow (one week from the interview) to ask regarding the position? They had asked me to come in for a second interview only one day prior and I was out of the city, so I flew in straight to the office on the day of my second interview and felt a little under the weather. I felt that I could've done better and am really regretting that I didn't feel well.

Also, I saw that they've posted internship positions on the day of my second interview. I am also willing to be an intern because I've always wanted to work here. Do you think it's 1. okay that I ask to be considered for internship positions, if I do not get hired for the regular position 2. okay to contact them now? or should I wait?

Thank you so much for your replies. I really appreciate all your help in my previous threads.

[Tide]

A little more info please. How long elapsed from when you applied till the first interview and how long between the first interview and the second?

[yk2366]

Two weeks after I applied I landed an interview. A week after my first interview, I was asked to come in the day after for a second interview. So I'm assuming they would have contacted me sooner or later, but I have also not received a rejection letter either (sigh of relief).

[Tide]

I think, due to the time frame that you showed calling between 1 and 2 weeks after the second interview should be safe considering the prior timeline. Don't expect a rejection letter for a while, if you even get one it seems to be going the way of the dinosaur. I wish you luck, I had to find out the hard way after a second interview while driving several hours home two days later that I didn't get it, and I thought I left with a good feeling. Best of luck.

[Brocktoon]

Normally I am not a fan of the, "did I get the job" follow up phone call this is the exception. I would call the person you interviewed with and ask the status. If they tell you they hired someone else then ask follow up question on how you interviewed, what you could do better and then wrap it up with the question on the internship.

[Tide]

Normally I am not a fan of the, "did I get the job" follow up phone call this is the exception. I would call the person you interviewed with and ask the status. If they tell you they hired someone else then ask follow up question on how you interviewed, what you could do better and then wrap it up with the question on the internship.

That's sound advice too.

[yk2366]

Thank you so much for your replies.

Brocktoon, by "follow up questions on how you interviewed", do you mean that I ask for feedback on what I could improve/work on? Are employers usually willing to go over that with you?

Also, a mentor had told me it is less rude to email than to call. They may feel uncomfortable in case I did not get the job. What do youguys think?

Tide: do employers usually send out rejection letters days after they've already chosen someone, even to those who've had second interviews?

At this point I feel very discouraged. After each rejection I feel less and less confident that I am a competent (new) planner. Hope things will work out for the better soon.

[Tide]

I was on the hunt for many months over 18 months ago. I have received personal rejection letters, mass rejection letters, no rejection letters, and probably an email or two in there. Don't give up hope until you hear yea or nay. They could be held up with budgets this time of year and put the decision on hold for a few days, remember it is also summer and possibly HR needs to do a final eval of the hiring process and someone is out? Who knows, however I will say if this goes past two weeks I would get nervous. If you had a second interview and you were the first maybe they were waiting on 1 or 2 others which were scheduled later in the week. Considering Monday is a holiday and Friday many people take off to make a long weekend a call on Thursday late morning (10:30 - 11:00 AM local) would be a good bet.

[smccutchan1]

Keep in mind that you getting this job means everything to you and almost nothing to them. Most employers -- especially municipalities --, hate the idea of having anything to do with interviewing let alone hiring and will avoid making a final decision like the plaque.

Over the years as I have interviewed people I know within 5 minutes or less of the interview whether or not the person is someone that I would hire. Sometimes if I know someone has no chance of getting the job I will let them know then and there just to put them out of their misery. This is private sector work which I know is different than public sector hiring with an HR person looking over your shoulder all the time.

You just have to wait it out and at some point if you don't hear, you just aren't going to hear. It is common practice today to not let everyone know how they were disposed of. Its rude and unprofessional, but isn't alot of business like that today.

[VexedCoffee]

I think it's a good idea to ask about internships if you are rejected for the position. It shows you really want to work for them.

[Brocktoon]

Thank you so much for your replies.

Brocktoon, by "follow up questions on how you interviewed", do you mean that I ask for feedback on what I could improve/work on? Are employers usually willing to go over that with you?
.

I always do it. Once I find out I was not their choice I call and ask for 5 minutes of their time to discuss my performance at the interview. Some are happy to and others have no desire.I call everyone in the interview that is not HR. Always make sure you thank them for allowing you to interview for the position. Some of the questions I ask are:
What was the best part of my interview? What was the worst part? What can I improve upon? If a position opened that I was qualified for do you think I should apply? What made the person you hired stand out?

Since you want to work there I would try to build a relationship with the hiring manager or someone that was in the interview. Even if you don't get a call or internship give them a call a few months after everything settles and ask if you can get a meeting to learn more about the organization/profession.

[smccutchan1]

I always do it. Once I find out I was not their choice I call and ask for 5 minutes of their time to discuss my performance at the interview. Some are happy to and others have no desire.I call everyone in the interview that is not HR. Always make sure you thank them for allowing you to interview for the position. Some of the questions I ask are:
What was the best part of my interview? What was the worst part? What can I improve upon? If a position opened that I was qualified for do you think I should apply? What made the person you hired stand out?

Since you want to work there I would try to build a relationship with the hiring manager or someone that was in the interview. Even if you don't get a call or internship give them a call a few months after everything settles and ask if you can get a meeting to learn more about the organization/profession.

If you believe my premise that for most people, interviewing and hiring is seen as a unwelcomed burden, having someone follow up with you on an interview can be even a more unwelcomed burden. If you want to improve your interviewing skills, go to a career counseling center and get real professional help.. Don't ask a group of people who just rejected you. What value is in it for them to help you.

[Brocktoon]

If you believe my premise that for most people, interviewing and hiring is seen as a unwelcomed burden, having someone follow up with you on an interview can be even a more unwelcomed burden. If you want to improve your interviewing skills, go to a career counseling center and get real professional help.. Don't ask a group of people who just rejected you. What value is in it for them to help you.

I don't believe your premise, hence my statement. I agree some people feel that way and if you get them on the phone you can tell they don't want to talk about it then they can end the conversation. A career counselor will not provide you the same type of feedback as a professional in the field that is not an HR professional. If the decision maker sees helping another person in the field as a burden then what is that person like as a manager?

Planning/ED is a small field. Regardless of which side of the table I am on I look at it as an opportunity to expand my network. Personally, I call those I did not hire and offer them feedback and make myself available as a resource, even if it’s an admin assistant position. In fact I am closer to an ED director that did not hire me after the interview process.

[yk2366]

Thanks for all your advice.

I was going to call a week from the second interview, which was on Wednesday, but I kept waiting hoping that they would call either yesterday or tomorrow. It's past 1 now and I think it's a little too late to inquire, so i'll be making my call tomorrow on Friday. Hope everything works out.

[reimaginethis]

If you believe my premise that for most people, interviewing and hiring is seen as a unwelcomed burden, having someone follow up with you on an interview can be even a more unwelcomed burden. If you want to improve your interviewing skills, go to a career counseling center and get real professional help.. Don't ask a group of people who just rejected you. What value is in it for them to help you.

I totally agree. The one time that someone did this to me (I was the hiring authority in this case, and this was before I was in the planning profession), I thought it was incredibly unprofessional. I hired another person because that person was a better fit for the position. My decision wasn't about the person I didn't hire. It was about the person I did hire.

The person who called came across as obsessed and desperate. Not only would I not consider hiring the person in the future, I would not even consider interviewing the person again in the future for fear of being cornered and questioned.

That's just me. Obviously, different people have different opinions on this matter.