Hurry Up And Wait.
As a warning, I am on a running kick right now, so most of my blogs this month will be riddled with running quotes, metaphors and similes. Enjoy!
Hurry Up And Wait.
Applications, both job and college, often feel like this! There are deadlines that sometimes feel unrealistic. I’ve seen job postings that have a 2-3 day turn around, from the time they are posted until the time the applicant is required to have everything submitted in order to be considered. Even if you don’t have to “hurry up” and submit your application materials, you do always have to wait. And wait. And sometimes wait even more.
This is a frustrating time, even for the most patient of people. You can, however, use this time wisely and productively, which may set you apart from the crowd down the road. Below are a list of suggestions for both job seekers and college applicants to do during this time to improve your chances of admission or of getting the job.
Job Seekers
Network with others in the company. Don’t just connect with them on LinkedIn, but also message them and engage with them. This is a great chance to ask them questions about the company and their day-to-day work routines. This gives you greater insight into whether or not you want to work for the company and an idea of what to expect in an interview.
Have your phone on and ready to answer. Take phone calls from unknown numbers, even if you normally don’t- you don’t want to miss out on that important phone call. Also, it’s a good idea to check your voicemail message to make sure it is professional and that it isn’t full. iPhones are notorious for having full voicemails but not notifying the owner of the phone. If you haven’t emptied your deleted messages in a while, you probably should! If they can’t reach you, you can’t get an interview.
Review and revise your application documents, again. Yes, I know you did this when you were applying, but depending on how much time you had to do this you may have missed something or forgot to add something that could be relevant. Go through everything with a fine tooth comb. If you missed anything on your resume, add it. If you worked on a project that would be beneficial to share with them, get your documents or portfolio together. Once you’ve done this, send them, along with a personal email explaining the updates to the hiring manager. This update will show them that you are serious about the position and have lots to share with the company.
Follow up. I intentionally listed this third. You should wait about 2 weeks before sending a follow up email (preferably) to the hiring manager. This allows your application to be screened and your resume to get through the appropriate channels before you reach out. Email is usually preferred over a phone call. Make sure the email is short and to the point, that it confirms your interest, reiterates your top qualifications and then close it out with a thank you to the hiring manager for their time.
Research the company. Sometimes interviews can happen on very short notice. Take some time to research the company ahead of time. Start a note on your phone, a document on your computer or a handwritten memo containing what you should know if you get called in for an interview. This allows you to refresh your memory just before you walk into the interview and they ask you the infamous “what do you know about our company” question. This is also a good time to see if the company has been in the news recently and read any related articles.
Keep applying. I know that you just applied for a job, but sadly, the job application process is more of a marathon than a sprint and nothing is guaranteed, so keep searching and applying for other jobs you’d be interested in.
College Applicants
Fill out your FAFSA (if you haven’t yet). This is something that you likely already did, but just in case, make sure it is done ASAP. If you did already fill it out, add this newest college to your FAFSA list so that they receive your information as well.
Visit. In our COVID world, there are so many visit options for college applicants- both in-person and virtual. I’ve always said that you can’t know if a college is truly the best place for you if you don’t visit, preferably in person. It needs to feel like home since you will be spending the next 4 years there, the visit is always worth it.
Retest and update any optional documents that you didn’t submit. In the event that you are waitlisted or deferred, it is good to work on these things now so there is less stress and pressure later. You can also submit any optional documents while you are still waiting to hear back about your decision. This will reiterate to the college that you are truly interested.
Keep your grades up. Some students think that just because their applications are in they can let their hair down and their grades start to slip. Don’t let this happen to you. Colleges look at grades all the way up to graduation. If your grades fall too far, they may rescind your acceptance.
Seek out opportunities in your desired major. If you are set on a particular major and that is your passion, find ways to get involved in that area now- find a part-time job, volunteer or job shadow. This will be helpful as you begin your classes and may even open up some doors for you in the future.
Contact your admissions representative to find out if there are any outstanding documents. In the case of admissions, it is almost always okay to contact them by phone (most times they prefer this). This allows you to ask questions and them to get to know you a little more. Find out if there is anything outstanding in your file, but wait to do this until about 2 weeks after you submit your application so that all of your documents have time to arrive and be processed.
If all else fails, run (or walk). Running and walking are great stress relievers and can help take your mind off of the waiting game. Sometimes, we’ve done all we can do and simply need to wait for the process to run it’s course. You don’t have to run, but find something that helps you deal with stress and do that while you wait. Happy hunting.
To close out, I’d like to finish with a funny quote about running- it’s my theme for the month and also apropos as being productive during our waiting time is just like training. Those who do more will be more successful in the end, so do more so you don’t get eaten.
“Run. Because zombies will eat the untrained ones first!” – Zombie Apocalypse Survival Guide
I hope you’ve found this helpful and slightly entertaining. If you are looking for more information, please visit my website- Higher & Hire. If I can be of assistance to you, please reach out to me here.
Many Thanks!
Valerie Palmer
