Would you call the hiring manager?

[rudy]

I am applying for another job in water/wastewater with the city. I've applied for several but have not had any calls. My new friend (whom I met a few months ago through networking) mentioned my name to the hiring manager. He told the hiring manager of my interest in the position and gave me the hiring manager's name and number. I do not know the hiring manager at all. In fact, this is a totally new field for me... I am trying to start a new career in water/wastewater and move away from semiconductors.

So my question is: Should I call the hiring manager?

 

[rudy]

Really you called without even knowing him/her? and were hired?

What could you have possibly said?

 

[EM_PS]

cold contacts can be incredibly awkward - i called in a similar situation and after revealing my reference contact got absolutely nothing from the guy. When it was obvious the guy wasn't even gonna consider me i did my best to exit out of the call gracefully rather than just abruptly terminating it, and after a long awkward silence, i actually had to ask the guy if he was still there - he was and i ended the call as he apparently wanted, abruptly.

anyways, it costs you nothing to call, most of the time who you know is far more valuable than what you know, and you won't get a complete dud all the time (as i did), sometimes its just a matter of making a connection however tenuous. good luck!

 

[rudy]

Thank you matrix for your candid response. This really helps.

My gut feeling says no, but this may just be fear speaking. I'm afraid that my call could blow my chances.. it might annoy the hiring manager. A co-worker of mine left my company (Company X), but then got laid off from his new company a few years later. A new position opened up in our company (Company X) about the same time. He called all his old contacts in Company X in the hiring department. He met all of the qualifications. Yet he did not get called in for an interview. I hypothesized that maybe his calls annoyed people... but I might be wrong, who knows, maybe he had burned his bridges before he left Company X.

 

[EM_PS]

in the above instance, i would surmise the fact he cut out & ran to a diff company only to try and come back had more to do with his being excluded.

Calling cold i really don't think makes or breaks your ability to land an interview; in fact i would guess it can only help, not hinder. If the guy's not interested in anything about you via a phone call, i doubt if he had simply just looked at your resume (i.e. no call) he'd be anymore interested in you as a candidate. In my example, the guy wanted a PE (my reference contact apparently didnt realize this). Also, he didn't expect a call - my reference knew the guy and that his company was hiring & gave me his contact info, while not actually dropping my name to him in return (nice).

Anyways, the job market's way too saturated & competitive right now to take a passive approach to marketing yourself, esp in an area with which you don't have much experience in. My :2cents:

 

[Fluvial]

Rudy, I think it would be fine to call. Just express your interest in the position and thank the person for their time.

When I graduated from Uni, I had to cold-call for the few positions I ended up interviewing for, and it was never so awkward as to hurt my chances. The second job I had, I knew all the people in the department so it doesn't pertain to your question.

Good luck, I hope you are able to get the position you want.

 

[Dleg]

I think you need to call. Without a background in water and wastewater engineering, I think you run a much higher risk of just having your application tossed into the "not qualified" pile without further consideration unless you do.

Just plan out what you are going to focus your pitch on. I would focus on how you want to change careers. Express that you are very interested in the field, you realize that your first choice in careers wasn't what you really wanted, and that you are willing and eager to start at the bottom to learn the new field. Give them a sense of your enthusiasm. That might generate enough interest to land you an interview, during which you try to hit the same points.

 

[wilheldp_PE]

If it is a job that I really want, and I feel that I am adequately qualified for it, I have no problem calling the hiring manager and asking where they are in the hiring process. Anything to do to bring your name to the mind of the hiring manager gives you a leg up on the people that just submit a resume and wait. In fact, the job I had before my current one, I did just that. When I went in for my first interview, there was a note on my resume file that said that I had called to check on the status and it gave a date and time. I sent a thank you card after that first interview. When I went in for 2nd interviews, that note was in my file. Never underestimate phone or personal contact in the hiring process.

That being said, there is a limit. If you call every day, you will eventually piss off the hiring manager, and your resume will end up in the round file.

 

[maryannette]

Call, but have a "script" prepared. Not something that you will read so it sounds fake, but notes that can help you avoid being awkward. Especially an opening introductory statement, important points you want to get across, and an elegant way to end the call.

 

[rudy]

Anyways, the job market's way too saturated & competitive right now to take a passive approach to marketing yourself, esp in an area with which you don't have much experience in. My :2cents:

Agree. I've had my same job ever since I got out of college. All my interviews were pretty much set up before graduation. In any economy like this, I need to be proactive.

Thank you again matrix.

 

[rudy]

Rudy, I think it would be fine to call. Just express your interest in the position and thank the person for their time.

Those are good points. Thank you Fluvial for your feedback and wishing me well.

 

[rudy]

Just plan out what you are going to focus your pitch on. I would focus on how you want to change careers. Express that you are very interested in the field, you realize that your first choice in careers wasn't what you really wanted, and that you are willing and eager to start at the bottom to learn the new field. Give them a sense of your enthusiasm. That might generate enough interest to land you an interview, during which you try to hit the same points.

This is good guidance on what more I should say. I've already taken training on water models and GIS (the job responsibilities). Yes, I am willing to start at the bottom, especially since this is a new field for me. In fact, the minimum requirements are a B.S. and an EIT... I'm so glad for my M.S. and that I finally passed the PE. Thank you Dleg for the advice.

 

[rudy]

If it is a job that I really want, and I feel that I am adequately qualified for it, I have no problem calling the hiring manager and asking where they are in the hiring process. Anything to do to bring your name to the mind of the hiring manager gives you a leg up on the people that just submit a resume and wait. In fact, the job I had before my current one, I did just that. When I went in for my first interview, there was a note on my resume file that said that I had called to check on the status and it gave a date and time. I sent a thank you card after that first interview. When I went in for 2nd interviews, that note was in my file. Never underestimate phone or personal contact in the hiring process.
That being said, there is a limit. If you call every day, you will eventually piss off the hiring manager, and your resume will end up in the round file.

I've heard of that... If you call, a note is added to your file and automatically moves your file up to the top since they have to add a note to it.

Agree. Everything in moderation. I only plan to call the hiring manager once, so I need to plan out well what I want to say. Thank you very much wil. I appreciate your words.

 

[rudy]

Call, but have a "script" prepared. Not something that you will read so it sounds fake, but notes that can help you avoid being awkward. Especially an opening introductory statement, important points you want to get across, and an elegant way to end the call.

Hi Mary! With yours and everyone's inputs, I will be better prepared. Thank you for your suggestion.

 

[Supe]

I called my former boss (same company, he changed divisions) after discovering that interviews were taking place, but I hadn't been called to interview. I got his cell phone number, gave it a shot, and it turns out that HR had lost my resume at a job fair. I went, was the last person to interview, got the job, and it's the best job I've ever had, albeit the most stressful.

 

[z06dustin]

If there's anyway you can meet him in person (just stopping by the office to say hello to your friend, whatever excuse you can make), I think you'll have a lot higher chances. People are less apt to just brush you off in person than they are over the phone.

However it might be seen as intrusive if you can't dream up a good excuse / cover to be there, so you're walking a fine line either way.

All this reminded me of this article I read a while back in the wsj:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405...0228336118.html

Brave or Brazen? Bold Tactics Don't Always Get the Job

In order to stand apart from the competition, Jim Winninger has sent packages to hiring managers with an embroidered shirt and a catchy gift tag.

 

[rudy]

I called my former boss (same company, he changed divisions) after discovering that interviews were taking place, but I hadn't been called to interview. I got his cell phone number, gave it a shot, and it turns out that HR had lost my resume at a job fair. I went, was the last person to interview, got the job, and it's the best job I've ever had, albeit the most stressful.

Thank you Supe for your encouraging words.

 

[rudy]

If there's anyway you can meet him in person (just stopping by the office to say hello to your friend, whatever excuse you can make), I think you'll have a lot higher chances. People are less apt to just brush you off in person than they are over the phone.

I hadn't thought of swinging by to say hello. For now, I'll stick to the phone call. If I don't get called for an interview, I'll probably resort to swinging by to take my friend to lunch. Thank you z06dustin for your advice.

 

[FLBuff PE]

If there's anyway you can meet him in person (just stopping by the office to say hello to your friend, whatever excuse you can make), I think you'll have a lot higher chances. People are less apt to just brush you off in person than they are over the phone.

I hadn't thought of swinging by to say hello. For now, I'll stick to the phone call. If I don't get called for an interview, I'll probably resort to swinging by to take my friend to lunch. Thank you z06dustin for your advice.

And if all else fails, get his/her home address, and swing by their home to 'see their pretty Christmas lights'.

I joke, of course.

 

[Road Guy]

I would say not unless you have met them or have a close contact

I might have had a different opinion before but recently i had to let someone go due to performance and when i looked through their file it was inundated with calls, letters, email.. "thank you for taking the time to interview me,etc," during the process, for me looking back it should have been a little red flag for the person who hired them