The thing that we can never have patience for is to ‘Wait.’ Especially if that wait is for your future career. The wait between you applying for a job and hearing back from them is just painful. The longer the wait is, the more anxious you get, which is not healthy at all. So, let us take a look at the possible reason behind the delay and what to do if the delay keeps increasing. Let’s see How Long Does it take to Respond to a Job Application?
The reason behind the delay in getting back to you after you applied for a job
The healthy time between applying and hearing back is one to two weeks. This time of wait is very basic and necessary as well. The reason could be selecting the deserving resume out of the multiple ones. The employer can however reply to you sooner depending upon the position of the job. But sometimes the waiting period can be longer. You can get an interview call even after a month, but that is generally a very rare case. If you are to get a call then you will get it within two weeks after the submission of your application.
As written above, sometimes the time taken to get back to you is pretty late. This can happen when there is some inside problem in the company. Like for example, the employers were busy setting a job application for a different position in the company or there were more candidates for the position, so screening took time. But whatever the reason could be, getting a call is important and something that can be the reason for you to come out of stress that you experienced while waiting.
But as suggested, this is a pretty uncommon phenomenon. Generally, if you are not getting a call back within 2 weeks, it means that you are not getting the job and that your resume has been rejected. So. make up your mind for that, so that you don’t go through unnecessary disappointment in life. However, you can follow up if you want. Like if you are sure that your resume is perfect for the job applied the do keep in touch with the employers.
As far as we know, we will suggest you not wait up for more than 3 weeks if you don’t get a call. That way you will save your time and will be able to apply for other jobs as well. Waiting for more than the necessary time could also lead to stress and will increase your anxiety. Make sure that you don’t let the common scenario of ‘getting a job or not get to your head.
What to do while waiting for a callback?
This goes without saying, that while you wait to get a callback, you keep applying for other companies as well. This will increase your opportunity in getting your dream job. Waiting will only increase your anxiety and reduce your reach within the market of career. This is the main reason for the increase in the percentage of unemployment in the country. They keep waiting for only one job that they have applied hence losing all other opportunities.
The other reason for you to keep applying for other positions could be that the employers typically take only 8-10 candidates per job (as per the requirement). The main point is that there is a lot of competition in the market so just don’t stick to one. Explore as much as you can. Waiting for a call back can be a risky step in your career.
Make this your motivation, “Keep applying until you grab one”. Don’t put your fate in the hand of the employer, keep it in your hands, AS they say, “be the master of your sea”. Also, this will help you not lose your hope and keep your mind away from stress, anxiety, and many other emotions that can hurt you mentally.
The factors that could help you in hearing back faster than you are expecting
There are many ways by which you can get a call back from the employer. The number one factor could be making some improvements in your resume. Add as many achievements as you can and make sure to highlight them so that they can catch the eye of the employer as soon as they come across your resume.
The second could be your cover letter. Make sure that you make a unique and medium-length cover letter. The main focus of the cover letter is to sell your achievements. So do that. The next thing you can do is get an internship before applying for the job. This will add experience to your resumes and will increase your chances of getting the job more. While doing so, if you can get a LOR (letter of recommendation) or referral in short then it will be better. Because companies hire a candidate based on their judgment of the candidate’s loyalty. So, if you have a referral with you then they will hire you or will at least consider you first before any other candidate.
Summary
- The maximum time of getting a call back is one to two weeks.
- Getting a call after a month is a rare situation. So don’t wait up for that.
- To have more varieties and opportunities, keep applying for other positions as well.
- Witing to hear from only one employer can have risks for mental health issues. Like it can increase your stress, anxiety, the feeling of disappointment. So, take care of that.
- While waiting, you can improve your resume.
- Make a perfect cover letter.
- Grab an internship to add experience to your resume.
- Don’t lose hope.
- Keep working on your profile.
My advice will be not to wait for too long for a call back especially if they are taking more than 3 weeks to do so. Keep applying to other positions to increase your chance of being an employed person.
