[Anonymous]

I had gotten a voicemail several days ago from a Big 4 campus recruiter that she got my resume and would like to discuss the opportunities related to the position I am seeking. She asked me to call her back, which I did last Tuesday. When I called her, she was about to go into a meeting and said she would call me back on Wednesday after a certain time. She didn’t call back (or at least I didn’t see any calls from her). Should I try calling her again (on Monday?)?

Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Texas27 can probably give you the best advice on this question. I think he/she (idk which) works in this area. I just wanted to bump the thread.

[Anonymous]

i would definitely call back.

[Anonymous]

@Kricket

Thanks for the bump.

@ddtspir06

Thanks.

[evancole]

I would 100% call the recruiter back.

On a side note, when speaking to recruiters, or anyone in general when you want to control the situation, always try to give yourself “permission” to call back. (i.e. at the end of your conversation/message say something like, “I will follow-up with you later in the week, or a specific day…,” whatever you are comfortable with).

I was taught this by someone who teaches interview skills to senior executives at large corporations: Operate with the assumption that you will not be getting a call back, even if you believe that you will. By having this mindset you will let whomever know that you will call them if you don't hear back (ball in your court/you control the situation); and if you don't receive a call back you have given yourself “permission” to call them again.

Good luck!

[Texas27]

@Kricket… thanks for the referral!

@Acct…It is definitely okay to call the recruiter back if they called you first wanting to talk. If you have their email address then you could send them an email instead. Just don't overload and start calling them multiple times or sending multiple emails like you are being to pushy. The only time I would advise you not to call/email the recruiter back regarding a job would be directly after an interview (this excludes sending a thank you note). If say they will be making a decision within a few days and it has been 2-3 weeks, then it would be acceptable to inquire about your status. However, if they tell you they will make a decision by Wednesday and it is Thursday or Friday then it would not be a good idea to be pushy with the recruiter at that point.

BEC - Feb 2012: 80
AUD - Feb 2012: 84
FAR - Apr 2012: 78
REG - May 2012: 90

Thanks Becker!

[Keely]

@Texas27, does it truly make a difference if someone calls/emails the interviewer after the interview? I don't have any interview experience yet, but I just always assumed, if they want me for the job, they'll call. If they don't call, me calling them isn't going to make much of a difference. Just curious from your perspective!

BEC: (4/2012) 88
AUD: (5/2012) 91
REG: (8/2012) 82
FAR: (1/2013) 78 🙂

VA CPA #42010

[kmwgrace]

It's common courtesy to send a thank you card after an interview but beyond that I don't think a follow up call would make a difference in the hiring decision. Jmho but I've never worked in a big 4.

~ Kate... MTX!
CPA exam on hold while I homeschool my 6 year old!

[Keely]

I agree with the thank you card. It's a very nice gesture, and not bothersome to the other person. I would tend to think the follow-up doesn't make a difference in most situations and may be more annoying than helpful. But, again, I have no idea since I'm not even employed! That was just my gut feeling.

BEC: (4/2012) 88
AUD: (5/2012) 91
REG: (8/2012) 82
FAR: (1/2013) 78 🙂

VA CPA #42010

[Anonymous]

Thanks evancole and Texas27! I'm going to give her a call soon.

[Texas27]

@keelydare1…. Generally you should not call the recruiter or anyone you interviewed with after an interview to inquire about them making an offer to you. Here is the real truth that some people might not want to hear: When you do your final interview for a position, most likely they will make a decision regarding an offer within a couple days or definitely within a week. You will hear from them almost the moment they make the decision because they want you to accept their offer. Therefore, there is no reason to be pushy about getting an offer after an interview (what's done is done and a phone call isn't going to help your case). Sometimes you might be back up candidate and will be contacted a few weeks later but that is pretty rare. This is why it is important to send a thank you card or email as soon as you leave the interview because it leaves a final impression of you in their head. If you think you have enough time for a hand written thank you card and mail it before they will be making a decision (i.e. your interview was on thursday or friday) then you should do that instead of an email. If you know they will be making the decision very quickly then you should send an email so it will get there faster. Sometimes it can be hard to judge this but generally they will let you know when they will probably be contacting you and then you can make your decision about an email or hand written letter by that.

Think about it from the recruiter/interviewers point-of-view. If you were not going to give a candidate an offer, would you want a candidate calling you about it and being pushy?… probably not because it can get awkward. Also, if you were trying to make a decision between two candidates and one called about the status of their interview once or twice but the other person wrote a hand written thank you letter that was on your desk Monday afternoon… who would you go with? They will know how interested you are in the job by how you act in your interview.

As soon as you leave the interview there is little you can do to help you case for that job afterwards because you had your chance. You either gave a good impression or you didn't and calling them isn't going to change that. However, a thank you letter can leave a positive thought about you in their head and remind them that you are very interested in the position.

Acct is in a different position though because the recruiter contacted them first. Therefore, if Acct calls back and leaves a message after the recruiter called wanting to speak to them then it would be worth one phone call/email after they have not responded in a few days or a week.

BEC - Feb 2012: 80
AUD - Feb 2012: 84
FAR - Apr 2012: 78
REG - May 2012: 90

Thanks Becker!

[kmwgrace]

Texas, makes perfect sense!

~ Kate... MTX!
CPA exam on hold while I homeschool my 6 year old!

[Keely]

@Texas, thanks for the info!

BEC: (4/2012) 88
AUD: (5/2012) 91
REG: (8/2012) 82
FAR: (1/2013) 78 🙂

VA CPA #42010

[Anonymous]

So I called the recruiter back yesterday and got her voicemail and left a message. Now what? If I don't hear back from her in how many days, should I try again…? Or just forget about it and hope I get another shot at a job some other way…?

Thanks.

[Texas27]

You have done enough… if they want you bad enough they will call you back. I wouldn't call again, maybe send an email in a week or so but other than that there is really nothing you can do at this point! Good luck, I hope they call you back, I know how frustrating it can be!

BEC - Feb 2012: 80
AUD - Feb 2012: 84
FAR - Apr 2012: 78
REG - May 2012: 90

Thanks Becker!

[Anonymous]

Thanks, Texas27. I don't have her email address, but I guess I will just wait and see if she calls back. I hadn't been expecting a phone call to begin with, so I will continue the job search through other ways.

You've worked in this area?

[Author]

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