By Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter
Someone messaged me with this question, Where some people get the idea that is a good idea . . . I hope it was just that they were young and bullied by parents.
Did I ruin my chances by trying too hard to get feedback? I’m Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter. People hire me for no BS job search coaching and career advice globally because I make things so much easier for you.
Someone wrote to me asking this question: “I had a phone interview for an internship last Friday, which went well. They said I’d receive feedback early this week. Since I didn’t hear back, I emailed the recruiter asking for updates. Later that day, I realized their other positions closed, so I reached out on LinkedIn to ask if this was an indication that they were waiting on other candidate applications or if there was an actual delay. No response. Did I ruin my chances by following up this way?”
Did you ruin your chances? Well, look, you’ve definitely come across as impatient and a little too aggressive.
Let’s break this down.
First, early this week can easily be interpreted as anytime Monday through Wednesday. Employers are often busy and they rarely stick to exact timelines. If they said early this week, emailing them on Wednesday was pushing it, especially if it was early in the week.
Second, reaching out via LinkedIn after already sending an email on the same day is definitely overkill. It signals lack of patience and a lack of respect for their time. It’s one thing to follow up. It’s another to bombard them across multiple platforms in one day.
Third, asking if the other positions closing meant that they were waiting on candidates is overthinking it and invasive. Recruiters don’t owe you an explanation about internal hiring decisions or timelines, and asking them to justify why they haven’t responded yet puts them on the defensive.
Now, did you ruin your chances? Not necessarily, but you didn’t help yourself.
If they were already leaning towards moving forward with you, they might overlook this as enthusiasm. But if you are on the fence, this behavior could be the tiebreaker against you.
Here’s what you need to do moving forward.
First, stop reaching out. You’ve already sent two messages. Anything more will make you look desperate and unprofessional. Give them time to respond.
Learn from this for the future. Following up once when a timeline passes is completely fine, but give it a few days of buffer. If they say early this week, follow up on Friday, not mid-week. And never follow up on multiple channels in the same day.
Keep applying elsewhere. Don’t put all your emotional energy into one internship. The best way to deal with waiting is to keep momentum going with other opportunities.
For now, take a breath, let it go, and wait for them to respond. If they reach out, great. If not, consider it a lesson learned.
I hope you found this helpful. I’m Jeff Altman. Visit my website, TheBigGameHunter.us. There’s a ton in the blog that’ll help you. Plus, you can schedule time for coaching or a free discovery call. And you can schedule that at the website. Lastly, connect with me on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/TheBigGameHunter. Have a terrific day and be great!
ABOUT JEFF ALTMAN, THE BIG GAME HUNTER
Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter is a coach who worked as a recruiter for what seems like one hundred years. His work involves career coaching, as well as executive job search coaching, job coaching, and interview coaching. He is the host of “No BS Job Search Advice Radio,” the #1 podcast in iTunes for job search with more than 3200 episodes.
Are you interested in 1:1 coaching, interview coaching, advice about networking more effectively, how to negotiate your offer or leadership coaching? Schedule a discovery call at my website, www.TheBigGameHunter.us
Learn to interview like a pro. “The Ultimate Job Interview Framework” www.TheBigGameHunter.us/interviews Kindle and print versions are available on Amazon.
Connect with me on LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/thebiggamehunter Mention you listen to the podcast or watch my YouTube channel.
Thinking of making a career change and need some ideas that fit you. CareerFitter offers a free test and if you want more you can upgrade for the paid version.https://thebiggamehunter.us/Career
