The MicroTrain Blog

I worked at Starbucks when I was in college.  Every few days or so, someone would come through the drive-thru and claim to have gotten a bad drink from a different Starbucks location, and angrily demand a new one.  They never had their receipt, and they didn't have the drink anymore as proof ("I threw the drink out the window because it was so bad”).  We could have called the other Starbucks to confirm, but that would've taken too much time away from the other customers, so the manager usually told us to just make the angry customer a new drink.  Even the 16 year old coffee achievers knew the angry customer was probably lying, but hey, the squeaky wheel gets the grease, right?

I often hear job seekers use this tactic in their job search.  Certain career coaches will tell you to go out there and grab your job of choice.  All you need to do is bark loud enough.  Sometimes you’ll even hear the rare success story.  “I called and demanded to speak to the hiring manager, who liked my proactive approach so much that he hired me immediately.  Now I have a corner office and my own mug."  In an employees’ market, this tactic might have worked liked gangbusters.  The difference now is; a hiring manager can throw a squeaky wheel into the trash, and 136 other wheels will rush to fills its place.  Such is the nature of the employers’ market.  The squeaky wheel can be annoying.  Most hiring managers want to hear you squeak about as much as I want to hear a telemarketer. 

Being Aggressive vs. Assertive

“Jeff, what are you saying?  Should I still follow up?”  Yes.  You still need to be heard.  You need to be memorable without sounding desperate.  You need to be assertive without being pushy.  You need to be confident without being arrogant.  You’re not alone if your oxymoron alarm is going off.  Many people find it difficult to find the right balance between being aggressive and assertive in their job search.  How can you do so?

Know how and when to follow up.  If you applied a week ago and there hasn't been any confirmation that your application was received, then you can follow up (but don’t jump into your elevator pitch or try to push for an interview).  If it’s been a week since your interview, and you were told to follow up in a week’s time, then you can follow up (but don’t irritably ask why you haven’t heard back yet).  Arguably, the best time to call is in the mid-afternoon, as certain studies have shown this period to be the least abrasive from an employer’s standpoint.  Knowing how and when to follow up is an integral part of your job search, and being too pushy in your follow-up can hurt you.  

Practice your tone on the phone when following up.  Picking up the phone and calling a company is a great way to separate you from the other prospective applicants.  This approach can make you the lone star in the running.  However, if you’re prone to an aggressive or desperate phone tone, you’ll want to hone your phone tone so you don’t end up alone with your chances completely blown (sorry about the rhyme zone).  Practice your follow up phone call beforehand and make sure you iron out any tonal brusqueness that might turn off the listener.

Start a conversation instead of a monologue.  Many career coaches will tell you not to sell yourself short.  They’re correct, but droning on and on about how perfect you are for the position isn't going to impress anyone.  If you write a follow-up e-mail to the company contact, ask a question in order to start a dialogue (this tactic works beautifully in interviews too).  For example:  in your follow-up letter, ask the hiring manager what the one most important skill is for the position.  If they respond, you can easily relate a story showcasing your own skills in that particular area.  You've now involved the hiring manager into your follow-up, diffusing the dull monologue approach.

Slight changes in verbiage.  Sometimes, a particular sentence can have a completely altered effect if it’s worded slightly different.  “I was the best employee at my last company” makes you sound arrogant and possibly resentful.  “My boss always told me that I was the best employee at the company” makes you sound appreciated.  (Incidentally, this specific example will be enhanced if you have a strong recommendation from your boss.)  If you’re following up after an interview, avoid sentences like, “John Smith said he’d call me in a week.  Well, it’s been a week and I haven’t heard back.”  This is too aggressive and sounds accusatory.  Make sure that you reiterate a) your appreciation for the person’s time, and b) your interest in the position.  Also, ask what the next steps are in the hiring process. 

In my opening paragraph, the squeaky wheel got the grease.  He also got the scorn of 6 Starbucks employees.  I’m not suggesting that you turn yourself into an unmemorable pushover, but don’t make yourself memorable in a bad way.  “Bob Jones?  Ugh.  That guy has literally called twice a day for the past week and a half.”  Don’t be Bob Jones.  Be proactive, be assertive and follow up when necessary.  Remember that hiring managers appreciate persistence until it becomes pestering. 

As you know, looking for work is a full time job.  Between networking online and in-person, getting certifications, and customizing each and every resume to the respective job leads, time is tight.  Betwixt the madness, you might hear a persistent rumor that employers and recruiters don’t read cover letters anymore.  If you’ve been overworked by unemployment, saving some time by skipping the cover letter might seem like a very enticing option.  After all, if you’re doing your cover letter correctly (and you are, right?), you’ll spend an extra hour or two on every application in order to get your wording absolutely perfect.  If most employers don’t even look at the cover letter, what’s the point of wasting those precious hours?

Well, it’s true; many employers aren’t reading cover letters anymore.  Allow me to explain before you angrily throw your binder of cover letters into the toilet.  You see, there are still a significant amount of employers who put a very high emphasis on the cover letter.  While this amount might be less than the number of employers ignoring your cover letters, it’s still a significant enough number that not submitting the document could be highly damaging to your application.  In other words:

Keep writing cover letters!

Sometimes, not having a cover letter is detrimental to your chances even if the employer doesn’t read it.  This might sound a bit strange, but think of it this way:  An interviewer might not notice your pants, but if you walked into a job interview with no pants on, you’re probably not going to get the job.  Employers and recruiters expect you to put some effort into your application, and not doing so could very easily disqualify you.  Whether it’s fair or not, they want you to jump through a few hoops (*cough* Applicant Tracking Systems *cough*) before they consider you.  In other words:

Keep writing cover letters!

It’s true that the face of cover letters has changed.  Many clever job seekers are finding hiring managers on LinkedIn, and submitting a version of their cover letter directly to them via InMail.  Some job seekers are making “cover videos” in order to infuse more of their personality into their cover letters.  These differentiation tactics work beautifully when done well, but can be laughable when handled clumsily.  So yes, the landscape is changing, but the basic concept behind the cover letter is the same.  It’s an introduction that complements your resume, shows a bit of your personality, and addresses issues that might otherwise be inexplicable on your resume alone.  In other words:

Keep writing cover letters!