Throwing a couple of flags

[malden153]

A couple of items in the thread about Major College Football/Basketball Play-by-Play spur me to the keyboard. It's here because I didn't want to hijack that thread.

Not everyone is scouring job boards. If the "curious lack of attention to their industry" and 11th-hour applications are an issue, then why isn't the job advertised for two weeks instead of six?

The earlier item in that thread stirred up something about phone calls that bothered me from this board a while ago. The most recent thread I recall last year on this topic implicitly and explicitly said calling even when told not to is often fine, and who would want to work for someone that thought otherwise? Yet here, potential job seekers are reminded twice not to call. Is that code for "go ahead and call" in order to be consistent with earlier advice? Or no, because they're "big" jobs? Should't all jobs be approached the same?

Managers have more on their plate than ever before. If they're advertising a job, of course they want to fill it as soon as possible, so why wouldn't they want to talk to you quickly? If there's a "no calls" request there's nearly always a very good reason and it's not because the boss is an ogre. Saying you wouldn't want to work for that person is patently unfair. With a very small percentage of decision-makers, it's edgy and confident to call. With most, it's really not.

I enjoy the STAA board and service and think they're great for the industry. I just felt the need to throw a couple of flags and offer a counter-point.

[Jon Chelesnik]

Very good points and I appreciate you sharing them.

What I usually recommend to job seekers is to weigh "no phone calls please" individually. Generally, I suggest calling anyway. The personal contact can be invaluable in setting yourself apart, especially if no one else is doing it. Some employers will immediately discount you for calling, but it is probably fewer than 10% and you likely wouldn’t want to work for that kind of employer anyway. The worst-case scenario is that you don’t get the job you already don’t have. The primary exception to calling against instruction is if you know the employer is uncompromising or if the add emphasizes no calls by using ALL CAPS or prefacing it with something like the "absolutely" (absolutely no calls). In that case, don't call.

The latter is what I tried to emphasize with the "no calls" emphasis for the college football play-by-play gigs. I am not the ultimate decision maker with those jobs so calling me to follow-up an application carries zero benefit.

I will give additional thought to my "no calls please" advice.

[malden153]

Very good points as well. Each job, and each boss for that matter, is unique. It's all a roll of the dice at any rate.

Thanks again for providing a service and sounding board that greatly helps our changing industry and even lets us old-timers weigh in.

[Jon Chelesnik]

Thanks again for providing a service and sounding board that greatly helps our changing industry and even lets us old-timers weigh in.

Shoot -- you are very welcome. I appreciate that we can all share ideas in a professional exchange.

By the way, with one, I now lead the league in penalty flags. I am quickly turning into the Raiders.

[Bo3507]

If the right candidate for the job "calls", the "no calls" will quickly be considered a request and not a mandate.

It's common for that to be included in job postings because those that KNOW they aren't qualified will generally not call for fear that it would eliminate the small chance they have at the job...when in fact, they had zero chance to begin with.

Someone with the qualifications and talent to fill the position would generally not be afraid to call...knowing it would take a lot for that employer to discount them based solely on a phone call. Truth is, if you are eliminated after making a phone call, you likely weren't getting the job anyway. My guess is less than 10% of employers would pass on a great candidate because they made a phone call. But they also don't want to "invite" calls from every under-qualified individual that believes a phone call improves their chances.

Just my 2 cents from someone with almost zero sense.

[Jon Chelesnik]

Bo -- great comments. You explained the thinking behind my advice better than I ever have. Well done and thank you!