What do tennis and Job interviewing have in common?

In a game of tennis, one person sends the ball over the net and the other person, sends it back, right?

Well, when it comes to job interviewing, correspondence with the hiring manager is a lot like tennis. How? When you send the ball over the net, (for example by sending a thank-you note after an interview) you have to wait for them to send the ball back over the net with some sort of communication.

The best hiring managers respond to thank-you notes and provide timely feedback about next steps, but regrettably some managers don’t. What I see some candidates doing is sending the ball over the net and if they don’t get any feedback or any next step from the hiring manager, they send another ball over the net with another email.

This is a mistake, just like in tennis you have to wait for them to send the ball back to you. The only exception is if after the interview the hiring manager says something like, "If you don’t hear from me by next Friday, reach back out." In that case you may have sent a thank-you note and then when next Friday comes along you have the right then to follow up with some sort of correspondence because they said to do that. But if they don’t respond to that email, it is best to assume that they are not ready to make a decision ab out next steps.

And in most cases, silence means that they are not interested. If they are interested, you will not have to prod the interview process along, sending ball after ball over the net.

I hope this bit of interviewing advice has been helpful, and as always, I look forward to helping you with your next career endeavor. Thanks.

Michael Pietrack

TMAC Direct

About the Author:  Michael Pietrack is a leading executive recruiter in a the Pharmaceutical Industry and arguably the top recruiter in the Medical Affairs space. His specific expertise is recruiting in Field Medical Affairs placing Medical Science Liaisons, and therefore, he has been dubbed “The MSL Recruiter” (www.TheMSLRecruiter.com).

What is TMAC Direct?:  TMAC Direct is an executive search agency that serves the Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Industries. This boutique firm fills critical staffing needs on a retained, partially retained, or contingency basis. TMAC Direct is the direct-hire recruiting division of The Medical Affairs Company, commonly known as TMAC. Together TMAC and TMAC Direct, provide an unmatched staffing service in the Medical Technology arena, whether the hiring needs are on a permanent placement or outsourcing basis.