Hey guys, I'm Kim. And I'm Amy. And we work at Snagajob.
And today we're gonna help you find a job. We're going to take a question from
one of your YouTube viewers today.
1993c4Corvette asks:
If I apply online,or paper form. How do I follow up on an application?
Following up is a critical step that often gets overlooked but in a competitive job
market you're probably competing with several other job seekers
for the same job and recruiters tell us the following up
is a great way to stand out and get noticed. We're gonna cover the
three most common ways to follow up.
Following up by email.
So, if your going to follow up by email there's a couple of things to consider.
Now email is probably the least scary way to follow up on a job application
because you don't actually have to talk to the hiring manager
but that comes with a couple of drawbacks, like not actually getting to
talk to the hiring manager.
Remember to review your follow-up email before you send it out. The slightest
error can cause you to be overlooked. Treat it just like you would a resume or
cover letter and even have a friend look over it to edit it just to the
extra certain you haven't made any mistakes. If you don't have somebody
handy who can look over your stuff to make sure you didn't misspell something
or have a type you haven't noticed
read aloud to yourself to see if you can catch any errors when you read it out loud.
This email can and should be short. Don't go on very long and definitely don't
repeat the same stuff that you put into your application or cover letter
just tell them that you were checking to see if the received your application
maybe reiterate your top three awesome things about you that would make you a
great fit for the position
Following up over the phone.
If you're gonna follow up over the phone make sure you practice what you say
beforehand. You really don't want to be caught hanging up as soon as they answer.
Hanging up phone
Make sure you only follow up during non-peak
business hours. For restaurants this means between two and four
and for retail this means after four on weekdays. When someone does answer
ask for the manager or the name of the manager if you have it. And when you have the
right person on the phone
introduce yourself and say:
"Hi, I'm calling to inquire about the status of my application.
It was for the grillmaster position at Buck-A-Burger
Even though you're on the phone
don't forget to smile. Hiring managers can tell if you're happy or grumpy.
"Hi, I'm calling to inquire about the status of my application."
sounds better than...
"Hi, hey I'm calling about the status
of my application. Um, yeah, it was
ugh
for a grillmaster position at Buck-A-Burger."
Make sure before you hang up to say something like
I look forward to hearing from you soon so the ball is in their court.
We recently just talked to one of our hired Snagajob members, Billy,
who said he got hired at Sonic by calling and following up on his application a week later.
When he was able to talk to the hiring manager, he offered him an interview
right there over the phone. And then he got hired on the spot during his interview.
Following up in person.
Following up in person is a great way to get noticed but if you don't do it the right way,
you can stand out for all the wrong reasons. One of the most important things we
can tell you is to dress professionally as you would for an interview when you
follow up in person. We actually talked to one of our members, Patrick,
on our blog who told that he used to work at a hotel
and when people would come in to drop off an application or to follow up he had to
actually write on their application
what they were wearing and how they presented themselves.
In addition to looking your best you also want to make sure to bring copies of your resume.
You never know when you'll be asked to interview. It could be right on the spot
and you don't want to be left unprepared. If just walking in and saying you're here to
follow up feels a little awkward to you, come up with a different excuse,
like saying you're here to drop off your references and follow up that way.
Tips for following up from the employer.
We talked to a nationwide
retail employer and asked for their tips about following up
and here's what they had to say.
First, coming to the store in person makes a better impression.
Second, wait no longer than a week after applying to follow up.
Third, follow up only once.
The employer should get back to you one way or the other.
And finally, it's okay to follow up again after an interview if you haven't heard back.
But again, only do that once.
Now, they told us there is a wrong way to follow up.
Don't be a stalker.
Don't be a stalker. It scares employers.
Following up can be scary, trust us, we know.
But, it's a great way to set you apart from the competition.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more videos about how to find a job
and visit snagajob.com to start your job search today.
Thank you!