What to do if your Recruiter doesn’t call you back.

You’ve been contacted by a recruiter who just came across your resume for a great job opportunity very close to your house.  After 20 minutes on the phone with him/her, you just know that this job is the job of your lifetime and you’re so excited because you’re qualified for every single letter of the job description told to you.  You send your resume over to your Recruiter, they confirm receipt and you are told that your resume is on it’s way to the client.  Now you’re waiting anxiously by your phone, check your email over and over just waiting for that call from the Recruiter to set up an interview.   Hours and days go by… NOTHING!  You leave messages, emails and still… NOTHING.  You had such a great conversation, everything seemed perfect, but you feel like your Recruiter fell off the face of the universe.

Now what?

Leave another message/email for him or her and kindly ask, without sounding desperate, or rude, to please call you back or shoot you an email to let you know that they have received all the information they need, or if there’s any questions they have.

If that doesn’t work, call the main number to their office and ask to speak with someone else.  Talk to another Recruiter, explain the situation, again without sounding desperate, and ask them if they’re familiar with the job and if they can possibly help you.  It’s absolutely within your right to speak with a different Recruiter to help you in your search. They may be working on the same position, in which case they can ask the client if they’ve had a chance to look at your resume, or they may have a completely different opportunity that is just as fantastic.  Even if they don’t have anything, you’re still better off if they’re the kind of Recruiter that calls you back.  If this one seems the same as the other one, it may just be that office and it’s time to move on and find a different Recruiter and agency to work with.

Something to keep in mind is that the Recruiter may not have any news to share if the client is still making their decision, but a status email or phone call is still called for.  If they called you with something they need, they would expect a prompt return call or email, so they should give you that same respect.

Good luck and happy hunting!