Waiting for the Phone to Ring, Post-Interview
Ring dammit!
My heart skips a beat every time I hear that trusty, Nokia ringtone (dumphone, of course). I keep checking to make sure it’s working; that it’s not out of batteries; that nothing could stop someone from getting through to me, should they need to. Yes, I am waiting for a guy to call. But not just any guy – a potential employer.
And while this would-be professional relationship bears no resemblance to a romantic one (not that desperate yet), the agony of waiting for him to call is not dissimilar.
Whenever the phone rings these days, I’m just a little disappointed to see that it’s only mom or dad. Or my best friend. Or even – as much as I hate to say it – my boyfriend.
And then, I wonder if instead of waiting for him to call, I should try calling him again. It’s important to show interest, right? But of course, I don’t want to seem too desperate. Or worse: annoying.
The thing is, the interview went so well. The conversation flowed nicely. You might even say we engaged in some delightful banter. And scoring an interview in this economy is like scoring a single, straight guy in San Francisco. Quite the victory. I was feeling pretty good.
But now, as I wait impatiently for that phone call, I find myself reliving the encounter in my mind over again, searching for any signs of weakness, discord, or just a lack of chemistry.
I can’t help but wonder if there’s already someone else. Someone better than me.
And not unlike the often infuriating dating game, I find myself making excuses for him. Maybe work’s just really busy. Maybe there’s been some family emergency. Maybe he just needs a bit of time.
But of course, a more likely explanation is that maybe he’s just not that into me. Oh well. Time to do some Facebook stalking!
Hi there — I came across your blog via the Unemployment Meter.
As someone who has been in the job market (not by choice) for too long, I know the feeling all too well. I’ve gotten to the point now where I don’t even want to answer my phone anymore if it’s not the person I’ve been wanting to speak with.
Same goes for my e-mail. I get overly excited when I see there is an unread message, only to find out it’s some dumb job board sending job recommendations (of which most of those jobs are from staffing agencies anyway!). Blech.
Hi Tania, I know the feeling all too well. However in reference to your comment about reliving the interview, “…searching for any signs of weakness, discord, or just a lack of chemistry. I can’t help but wonder if there’s already someone else. Someone better than me.” I have relived a few interviews myself, so firstly, there’s no one “better” than you, however there are people who have different skill-sets and experiences than you and sometimes, for reasons only known to the hiring manager at the time they make the decision, person “X” provides a “better fit” than person “Y”. And yes, the crazy thing is, each time you apply for a job, there will be a different mix of people with different skill-sets, personalities and experiences. Sometimes you’ll be the “chosen one” and sometimes you won’t. I’ve heard the nice blah, blah, blah as to why I didn’t get a particular job and I’ve beat myself up from time to time but in the end, I’ve learned to move on and only make myself responsible for those things that I can control. Given what you’ve written and not written, it sounds like you did well in your interview but I’m not sure how long it’s been. The best strategy is to send the interviewer a note as soon as possible after the interview thanking them while at the same time providing them with a reminder of your great skills, experience and why they should hire you…. and then wait for the (damn) phone to ring. Best wishes.
Pat is being silly. Question your self worth, the clothes you wore, and, importantly, those small hints dropped during the interview that said ‘you just need to go the extra mile.’ Go that extra mile. Call back. Drop by unannounced. Make that facebook friend request. And remember: the trash is a treasure trove of information. Let the courts decide how close you can get.
Geez MW, stalking much?
Tania,
Would it be funny if I called you and pretended to offer you a really good job? Maybe not funny to you, but I bet I would think it was funny. That’s all that matters, right?
I agree with Pat.
Don’t ever put yourself down.
However, I read much more
into this . . I’ll discuss later
Sad to say, I can totally relate! I waited two excruciating weeks for a callback from the one (and only one) company that contacted me for an interview. Each passing day brought a round of new thoughts… day one, hey I think I handled the interview rather well. Day three, no callback, okay they must be weeding through all the candidates. Day six, I knew I shouldn’t have answered the way I did, why the heck did I say that?! Day ten, they hated me, why kid myself, they’ve already shredded and recycled my resume and moved on. Day 14, OMG… they actually called… and want a 2nd interview!! Halelujah!
I am now into week two of the 2nd interview callback. The waiting hasn’t gotten any less excruciating!
I guess the thing that makes it so much more agonizing is because the stakes seem so high. Out of the dozens of jobs I’ve applied for, I only got the one response, so you REALLY feel like you NEED TO turn that interview into a job, because the alternative is too hopeless and depressing as you see your bills piling up.
I’ve been through all this too, and the best advice I can give is to not wait around for the phone to ring! If it’s an employer wanting an interview or more information, they’ll leave a message! If it’s important, they’ll always leave a message!
Instead, keep focused on applying for more jobs (when they come up) and pursuing your passions/interests.
For me, jobs have always come like romantic interests – When I’m not looking! So don’t wait around – focus on doing what you really want with yourself. How many months left do you have on UI? What do you really want to do? Pursue it!
p.s. For both employers and relationships, confidence is a hot commodity. We don’t NEED their job. They are lucky to find US. We shouldn’t act like we’re not interested in the job (best way not to get it), but acting too needy won’t help either.
Just an update on my wait since the 2nd interview… got that dreaded rejection email today. Part of me was really sad and disappointed, but I was also relieved that after an entire month since the initial interview, the waiting was finally over. heavy sigh.
Tania,
I just heard your interview on NPR this morning and it was like having a flashback. The (what I thought) was a successful interview, the elation of calling my wife to tell her that I thought it went well, followed by the days of waiting. Finally, it all culminates into self-doubt as you never hear anything.
I wish sometimes that an employer would just call and say “We’ve decided to go with someone else.” At least that would give some closure and allow you to mentally proceed with the next interview. It would be ideal for them to tell you why, so that you can improve on your resume/skills.
For the moment, I am employed, but I never know when that is going to end, given this economy.
I wish you and all of the other people out there the best of luck. Who knows, tomorrow I may be joining you.
Dave
I had to wait three long weeks to the day of the interview to receive the call. Thank goodness it was positive for me…but the wait was dreadful.
I can relate…after almost 3 months of being unemployed and only 2 interviews, I already hate the waiting game. I just wish that people would follow through with what they tell you during the interview regarding when they will make a decision and of course they will call everyone back. Yeah, right!!!!!! Seems a lot of folks doing interviews just don’t have the backbone to call and put us out of our misery. If I haven’t heard from them during the second week following the interview, I take that as a definate sign that I am not the one doing the happy dance
Frustrated for sure but I agree with what someone else said earlier….don’t wait for them to call back, just keep on sending out those resmues and keeping busy if possible with hobbies or volunteer work. Hopefully the bills won’t pile up too fast before a job comes along though!!
I had a great interview back in the middle of May. I thought it went really well, they told me they would be done interviewing at the end of May. I thought they would call the first week of June, they didnt. So I called and left a message. She called me back, and left a very long message that was very positive saying I was one of the top candidates for the position. We eventually talked in person and discussed salary needs. I have been waiting and waiting for an actually second interview to be scheduled. Last week (Third week of June) I called again, she said she needs to coordinate with her supervisors for the next interview schedule, and that she really wants to hire someone soon and wants to get these interviews done soon. She is in the middle of hiring for three different positions also, so she is pretty busy. I understand all of this, but I wonder every day. Is she ever going to call me and actually set a date for the next interview. She hasnt yet. It’s the last week of June. I still havent gotten a rejection letter in the mail or through email. So that’s good, right?! I’m planning on calling her again if I dont hear back from her tomorrow. Is that crazy or desperate. My husband doesnt think so. It doesnt make it any less infuriating playing this waiting game.
I completed my interview, felt like I knocked it out of the park. I sent my thank you letter immediately after the interview and HR replied right back. She sent me a background check to fill out and said it will be about 3-5 days until they would make a decision baring that my background and references checkout. Wish me luck!!!
Times have never changed. Waiting for ‘that’ call, is like having a ball struck in my throat. Can’t swallow it, can’t spit it out either..
Its been 4 hours after the interview now, Geez.. I know.. am not being silly..
People who have had just soup at end of month for lunch(due to ‘that’ reason) will understand this better!