We'll Get Back To You Soon

I suppose this is something that almost all of us have said at some time in our adult lives. It's not a great thing to say because it doesn't specify a specific time but most of the time most of us will 'get back to you'. I'm sure a minority of us (including myself) will have failed to fulfil  that undertaking and that has to be disappointing, inconvenient or even upsetting for the other party.

For my part I've been on the receiving end recently where 2 different recruitment agencies have said exactly that but have failed to follow through. One instance came after having sent my CV in to a company and after the first call heard nothing else; not an unusual situation as recruitment companies do this all the time and it's hard to sustain contact with these companies when there's nothing substantial to discuss.

The second instance came after being contacted directly and being told that there was a role coming up for which I would be a good fit and that we'd chat again in a couple of days. After a week, I asked if there had been any progress and was told, "We'll get back to you soon". Well, you can guess the rest. Of course, this is disappointing but is harder to take when opportunities, interviews and work haven't been forthcoming in some time.

It's been a lesson for me. I shall try harder in the future always to agree a specific date and always to ensure I do 'get back', knowing that if I don't I shall also be inconveniencing or disappointing someone else.

Incidentally, my LinkedIn profile can be found here. I hope you get back to me.

Damned If You Do; Damned....

It's long been a CV cliché that people might get rejected for roles when they are considered to be overqualified; I've never really understood how one COULD be over qualified - one is or one isn't. However I've encountered another 'Catch 22'. My roles over the past few years have all been 6 month or less contract roles. While I've applied for full time roles, I've always tried to keep working to keep the money coming in. Permanent role applications often ask for a work history and to explain any gaps in employment and this is easily done as a contractor,and I've always believed it's better to demonstrate a willingness to work.

I received a comment on my CV recently where the reviewer suggested that my frequent short term roles might be held against me by a future employer where they would be looking at employees sticking around for 5 - 6 years, even though it's quite clear that these are short term contracting roles, not permanent ones. I suspect that this might be an area in which I'm not going to succeed.

Incidentally, if you're a prospective employer - my CV can be sent in an instant!