NotJobs: a bright future in sales

One of the frustrating parts of the job search is the waiting. Your hot resume and painstakingly crafted cover letter fly off your computer into the ether, and then… nothing happens. Sometimes the wait happens after an interview.

The secret is: Neither side of the desk likes the wait.

Sometimes Mr. Candidate decides to take matters into his own hands and follow up. There’s a Right Way and a Wrong Way to follow up after an interview. Unfortunately, a significant number of good candidates blow up at this stage.

Over on the Passive-Aggressive Notes blog, sales candidate Steve delivers a perfect example of the Wrong Way. Prior to sending the e-mail, Steve was one of the top five candidates. Here’s a brief snippet of Steve’s message:

Dan,

Thought I would hear from you this week. I guess no interest. Part of the deal is you make commitments and stick to them, particularly in the sales process.

You must see Steve’s entire ego-filled e-mail, as delivered by an anonymous submitter in Kansas City. Steve was one of the top five candidates before he sent his e-mail.

Droll commenter #38 raiseyourglass replies with the e-mail that many a recruiter or HR type would love to be able to send (but NEVER would):

Steve,

Sorry we did not respond promptly. You know how slow human resources can be with the hiring practices and job offers. We were very excited about accepting you as our new sales associate. However in light of the recent e-mail you sent, we are only able to offer you the door.

P.S. We hear the post office is hiring. Good luck in your future endeavors.

Nothing against the Post Office, of course…

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