HELP! I missed a call from a recruiter!

What do you do when have you missed a call from a recruiter? I’ve been unemployed for well over 15 days and I do not want to miss a call from a recruiter again.

A few weeks ago, I was contacted by a managing director at a recruiting agency. She told me she had passed on my resume to a couple of HR recruiters and one of them would contact me. Soon after, I was contacted by an HR recruiter who mentioned she had setup a time for us to chat. The thing is, she called me 20 minutes ahead of the scheduled time. I was driving back home when I got the call so I decided to miss the call. Later, I called back when I was done driving and she immediately rescheduled a second phone call. She did not call at the scheduled time and so we agreed to speak at another time. I never received a third phone call and neither did I receive a reply to my email asking if we were supposed to chat at the time or not. I have moved on, but I need to know if it is usual for people to miss a call from a potential employer? 

A hiccup like this happens all the time. A lot of things can go wrong when two people are trying to set up an interview. Meetings could run late or technology might fail you. If you feel the person you’re talking to is conscientious and responsible, give them another chance. To keep something like this from happening again, here are a few smarter alternative to consider. Of course, this tips will help you not just land the right job but also rectify the situation, especially when you have missed a call from a recruiter.

PLAY HARD TO GET

According to Roy Cohen, author of The Wall Street Professional’s Survival Guide, in order to create desirability and attractiveness, you need to give the impression that you’re busy and in-demand. Job-seeking is like dating; you sit by the phone waiting for someone to call you back for a second date or a second interview.

Job-seeking is like dating; you sit by the phone waiting for someone to call you back for a second date or a second interview.

Many job-seekers have picked up the phone at 9.30 in the morning and gotten an HR recruiter who says, “Can you schedule a call this afternoon?” Most desperate job-seekers are inclined to say, “Yes! My calendar is open!” WRONG ANSWER. When you say yes to appointments on the fly, it will give an impression that you are always waiting by the phone and are too desperate to get a job. You need to appear slightly unavailable to give an impression that you’re busy doing something important.

The HR recruiter in your case, however, took it too far. Shoot the managing director an email because you did not miss a call from the recruiter just once. You might say something like –

“I wanted to thank you for taking the time to forward my resume onto your team. Unfortunately, I’ve become pretty disappointed in the level of service I’m getting out of [recruiter] as she is consistently failing to make scheduled calls. If you could assign me to another recruiter who is more responsive I would greatly appreciate it.”

Now, for people who have missed a call from a recruiter for an occasional mix-up, here’s what you need to do next:

• Don’t panic. With so many thoughts racing on your mind, you might make the simplest of conversations more complicated. Take your time and relax before you return the call. While you’re at it, assemble everything you need – the job description, your resume, and your calendar.
• Apologize for not taking the call, as you were “busy.” Be accountable, but don’t beat yourself up much for this might backfire later when you’re in the middle of negotiations.
• Follow your apology by asking, “Is it a good time, or would you be available later this week to talk?” Keep your calendar open so you can work out the dates.
• Be prepared to answer a few phone interview questions. Here’s a cheat sheet.
• Plan your phone conversation from a quiet place which has better reception.

PURSUE OTHER JOB OPENINGS

Until you have a job offer in hand, you’re still a job seeker. One recruiter’s call shouldn’t stop you can pursuing another job opening. It is the most rational thing to do. While you might be waiting for a callback, there are plenty of more rewarding opportunities you might be missing out on if you sit glued to your sofa to hear back from that one single recruiter.

THROW AWAY YOUR PHONE

Seriously, throw away your phone. If you have missed a call from a recruiter on more than one occasion then you need to go back to the primitive age. Why do you even keep a cellphone!

Learn a lesson from the harsh experience. Remember, the recruiter wants you to get the job – that’s how he or she gets paid. Help the recruiter sell your talent to a company and help yourself in the process!

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