Job Seekers: How much follow up is too much?

Reprinted courtesy of TheCareerNews.com
MINNEAPOLIS, MN — How many ways can our fears haunt us during our job search? Have you ever shared one of your fears and had a friend say, “Well, that’s a stupid thing to worry about. That’s never going to happen.”
How can you tell if a fear is reasonable? Diving out of the way of an oncoming car is a reasonable response to a reasonable fear. Most of us would agree with that. One big fear: If I call a prospective client or hiring manager too soon or too often, I’m afraid I’ll jeopardize the sale or job.

Like so many things, this issue depends on, and calls for a degree of judgment. Calling 10 times each day is probably not your best course of action. Your best antidotes to fear are information and clear expectations. Ask the prospect or employer what’s a reasonable time to check back, and how they’d like you to pursue the matter if you don’t reach them live. They’ll respect the question, give you clear guidelines, and you’ll know how to proceed without antagonizing anyone. Then you have one fear you can check off your list.
Article by Pat Schuler, Business Development Coach, and reprinted from TheCareerNews.com. Get the latest breaking News, Tips and Tools for your job search, Free!