How to Follow Up on a Sent Resume

Always follow up!

Calling the production office to follow up on a resume was always my least favorite part of the process. I hated the feeling that I was bothering people, and for a long time I had the notion that if they wanted to see me, they would call. Wrong thinking!!

Guess what? Following up on the resume you have submitted will usually (not just “often” but more often than not) make the difference between getting called in for an interview or not.

When I was hiring via resume (as against a referral) for my department, it was almost always the people who called me that I asked to see at once. Here’s why:

  • They showed me that they were keen and willing.
  • They showed me that they had a good presence on the phone, which was often exactly the help I would need in the art department office.
  • They saved me time, and made my life easier by being right there. This is the idea to keep in mind if you feel uncomfortable, as I did.

The only exception to this advice is if they specifically say “No Calls” in their job listing. But chances are this is not a listed job, but a production crew application.

Here are my best tips for following up on a sent resume and getting the interview:

  • Call the Production Office at the right time – not at 5:29pm or right at lunch. I suggest about 10am. Keep calling until you get a person. (A perpetually unmanned phone is a red flag.)
  • Always say your full name, and then ask to whom you are speaking. Use that person’s name during the conversation.
  • If you have a referral mention that person first, such as “Suzie Smith referred me to you” or “I’m Jim Martin’s associate”.
  • Do not say, “I’m calling to follow up on a resume” which is too easy to dismiss. Instead say, “I am calling to find out when [name the UPM]  or [name the department head] will be holding interviews for Production Assistants [OR assistants in that department].” This is a much better conversation. Chances are they will ask you to send a resume, and you will then add that you already sent one, but can send another copy if needed. You may have to repeat this if you are transferred directly to the relevant supervisor, which is what you want.

What to say when you call to follow up.

  • Bonus tip: If they seem receptive, offer to come in right then. Be prepared (dressed and ready to go) for the answer to be “yes, do” before you call. Also be ready in case they propose a Skype interview.