Why Does the Interview Process Take So Long in the US?
Author: Biron Clark
If you’re searching for jobs for the first time in the US, you might be surprised by how long the process takes.
It’s not unusual for a hiring decision to take months. Even between interviews, you might wait for two or three weeks to find out if you’re moving on to the next step in the process.
This article will explain a few common reasons why, and what you can do about it.
3 Reasons the Interview Process Takes So Long in the US:
⇒A large number of people are involved
It’s common for companies to have multiple employees interview you (sometimes an entire team), rather than having one manager talk to you and then make a decision.
This means that after you leave, everyone you met has to meet and discuss their thoughts. It also means that scheduling those interviews can take longer, especially during the December holiday season, and the summer months when people take more vacations. It’s important to keep this in mind when deciding the best time to apply for jobs.
⇒Employers want to talk to multiple people for each job opening
Companies in the US also have a tendency to want to talk to many candidates for each position. This can work against you if you were one of the first people they spoke to.
It doesn’t mean you won’t get the job, but you’ll likely have to wait for them to interview other people after you. It’s a good idea to ask how far along they are in the process, and when they expect to be able to make a decision. This won’t speed things up, but it’ll give you a better idea of whether they’ve already interviewed 10 people, or whether you’re the first person they’ve talked to.
⇒Hiring isn’t always their #1 priority
Another reason things can take so long: Companies and managers have many priorities. They posted the job because they needed to hire someone. There’s no other reason they would post it.
However, that doesn’t mean it was their top priority, and even if it was, things can change. Sometimes an emergency comes up, a big project within the group needs everyone’s attention, or hiring budgets get changed or cancelled, and the hiring process can be delayed for months.
It’s unfortunate, but as a general rule of thumb, if a recruiter or employer tells you that a job has been put on hold “indefinitely”, it’s a good idea to assume they’ll never hire somebody, and move on.
If they do reactivate their search and contact you, it will be a pleasant surprise, but it’s not a good idea to rely on this.
What can you do to make the process less frustrating?
There are a couple of steps you can take to make the job search process smoother and less stressful:
- Always keep applying for jobs until you’ve accepted a job offer. Don’t risk losing your momentum by stopping and hoping one particular job opportunity works out!
- Ask questions throughout the process so that you understand what to expect. Find out exactly what steps are involved (how many interviews, what types of interviews, background checks, drug tests, etc.)
- End each interview by saying, “can you tell me about the next step in the process, and when I can expect to hear feedback?” That way you’ll always know how long to wait before following up.
- Follow up with a polite email if you don’t receive feedback. (I recommend waiting one or two extra days. So if they said you’ll hear feedback next Wednesday, give them until Thursday or Friday). After that, send a follow-up asking for an update.
- In a first interview, ask them why the job is open, how many other people they’ve spoken with, and when they hope to have this position filled. All of this will give you a better idea of what stage the company is at in terms of their hiring.
Remember that the more you ask, the more you’ll know. You can’t control the speed that a company moves, but knowing what they’re doing behind the scenes can make the process less frustrating for you, and help you feel more confident in your job search.
This is an original article from Biron Clark. Biron is an Executive Recruiter, Career Coach and founder of the blog CareerSidekick.com. As a Recruiter he has partnered with Fortune 100 firms down to 6-person startups while helping hundreds of job seekers advance their careers. He’s passionate about business, entrepreneurship, and technology.
No Response After An Interview? Here’s How To Send A Follow Up Email
Author: Biron Clark
So, you finished your interview, went home excited to hear back, but now what? Maybe it’s been a few days (or more) and you haven’t heard anything.
I’m going to show you exactly how to send a follow up email after your interview if you’ve gotten no response, with examples and templates.
One WARNING first though: Don’t use these follow-up templates to email the company after one day! It takes time for the company to interview people and make decisions. If it’s one day after your interview, you should be sending a “thank you” email instead (I’ll cover that too).
How To Follow Up By Email After An Interview:
Step 1: The Follow-Up Email Subject Line
Follow up email subject lines are important. They decide whether your email gets opened, and how fast.
I’d recommend following up with whoever said they’d been in touch. Or follow up with whoever you’ve been talking to for scheduling, etc.
The best subject line, and the one that’s going to get opened faster than anything else, is to simply reply to the latest email between the two of you.
It’ll look something like this:
“Re: Interview on Thursday at 10 AM”
They’ll open it immediately because it’ll appear as part of the previous conversation. Much better than starting a whole new email for this.
Step 2: The Body Of Your Follow Up Email
I’d keep it simple and straight-forward. Don’t be shy or unclear. Tell them you’re excited to hear back and wanted to check if there’s an update or a decision yet.
Best follow-up email if you already sent a “Thank You” email:
“Hi <NAME>,
I wanted to follow up to see if there have been any updates regarding the <JOB TITLE> position that I had interviewed for on <DATE>. I’m still very interested based on what I heard in the interview and I’m excited to hear about next steps, so any information you can share on your end would be great. Thanks!”
Note: This template above is best if you’ve already sent a “Thank You” email a day after your interview. I’m going to give you one in this article coming up in a minute, so keep reading.
We can’t go back in time though. So if you didn’t send a “Thank You” email after your last interview and a few days have passed, here’s what to send… You just need a follow up email that also thanks them for interviewing you, since this is your first contact with them.
Best follow-up email if you DIDN’T already send a “Thank You” email:
“Hi <NAME>,
Thank you for taking the time to interview me on <DATE>, I enjoyed learning about the <JOB TITLE> position and wanted to follow up to see if any progress has been made in terms of a decision. The role sounds like a great opportunity based on what I’ve learned so far, and I’m looking forward to getting feedback when you have a chance. Thanks!”
For future use, here is a “Thank You” email template I recommend. Send it at lunchtime the day after your interview:
“Hi <NAME>,
I wanted to take a minute to thank you for your time yesterday. I enjoyed our conversation about <SPECIFIC TOPIC>, and the <JOB TITLE> position sounds like an exciting opportunity for me at this point in my career. I’m looking forward to hearing any updates you can share, and don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.”
“These Emails Seem Too Simple. Should I Add More?”
No. Don’t complicate it. Be up-front and say what you actually want, which I assume is an update on the status.
This email is your best shot at getting that update without seeming pushy, anxious, insecure, desperate, or any of the things that’ll turn a company off.
In all likelihood, the person you emailed will get back to you and apologize and say they’re still working on a decision. Or there’s a chance they have news to share and will update you as soon as they get your email.
Either way, you reminded them you’re waiting for news and still interested, which is important if 4-5 days have passed because companies love to hire people that seem genuinely interested. If you want to know why, or what else a company looks for first, you should check out my complete list of job interview tips. It’ll help you understand the company’s mindset a lot better.
What If The Company Says They Don’t Have Any News Yet?
This is a pretty likely scenario, they respond to your email and say they’re still waiting for something to happen. Sometimes they’ll be specific on what that ‘something’ is but usually not. Either way I’d respond with something to keep the conversation alive and give yourself an opening to follow up again if needed.
Here’s an example of an email reply you could send them:
“Thanks for the update. Do you have a sense of what the timing will look like moving forward? Or when would be an appropriate time for me to check back in? I’m excited about the opportunity, but I know these things take time so I don’t want to follow up too often here.”
What If The Company Still Hasn’t Responded To Any Emails After The Interview?
If you sent your followup email after the interview and didn’t hear back, here’s what I’d do:
First, make sure you’ve waited a one or two days for a response (not counting weekends). Give them some time.
Then send a followup to the same person, replying to the same email you already sent and keeping the subject line.
Email Body:
“Hi <NAME>,
Just wanted to make sure you saw my last email and follow up again to see if you had any updates regarding the <JOB TITLE> position. Please let me know when you get a chance, thanks!”
Be Patient After This…
If you still haven’t heard back at that point, I’d be very patient. There’s a chance someone necessary for the decision is on vacation or the person you emailed is extremely busy. If you get nothing after 48 MORE hours, you can email somebody else in the company.
I might wait even longer though. Really, at this point, you’re not going to gain anything by sending more followups one day sooner. So if in doubt, just wait a bit. I might wait a full week at this point if it were my job search.
However, when you do feel it’s time to take things further and check back in, here’s what to do…
Pick the next logical person and send them an email. If you were emailing an HR person before, try the hiring manager or somebody in the department you interviewed in. Or the other way around – if you’ve been emailing with the hiring manager before the interview and they’ve gone silent, try checking in with HR.
Example Subject Line:
“Any interview updates? I emailed <CONTACT’S NAME> and didn’t hear back”
It’s a bit long, but it’s specific which means it’ll get opened and the person on the other end will know it’s not spam.
The contact’s name is who you’ve been emailing previously – the person who isn’t answering your emails.
The Email Body:
“Hi <NAME>,
I emailed <CONTACT’S NAME> last week and hadn’t heard back so I wanted to send you a brief note. Is there any feedback you can share about my interview or the status of the <JOB TITLE> position? I’m looking forward to hearing any new updates when your team has a chance, thanks!”
Final Tips For Following Up
Make sure to end each interview by asking when you can expect to hear back from them.
It’ll save you some stress and you’ll know whether it’s time to follow up or not. Sometimes it’s normal to wait 1-2 weeks for a response after your interview. Maybe you were the first person they spoke with and they have many interviews scheduled.
UPDATE:
If you have more interviews coming up and don’t want to leave anything to chance, I’ve created a new guide where you can copy my exact step-by-step method for getting job offers. You can get more details here.
To read the original article, click here.
There’s Much "The Land" Can Learn from the Holy Land
A trip to Israel, sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Cleveland, was eye opening and life changing.
By Joe Cimperman
Last week, a group of non-profit leaders, through the insight and support of Tom and Joan Adler and the Jewish Federation of Cleveland, learned about a most beautiful, historic, epic, spirit filled, and complicated place called Israel.
This visit was a first for me and for many of the luminaries on the experience. As a native Clevelander raised in a very Roman Catholic home, I read and prepared and inquired as much as I could to be ready for this. But let’s be straightforward – no amount of books or conversations can adequately prepare you for the sacred land where Islam, Christianity, and Judaism blossomed. No amount of white papers or blogs or Facebook posts can prepare you for the meaning of Israeli entrepreneurialism, national get up and go, or semi-regional cooperation like the work ongoing on the Israeli-Jordanian border. And as many interviews and meetings and phone/text message chains as I initiated, nothing, absolutely nothing prepared me for the wide, deep, million miles traveled roads between The Holy Land (Israel) and The Land (Cleveland).
We landed in Tel Aviv, and through the kindness and connectedness of Elie Weiss we went on a block by block by block graffiti tour of this amazing city – a city whose name means The Old New Land. So much of Tel Aviv history and present time was painted in doorways, alleyways, and canvasses large and small throughout. The poignant, hilarious, sad, inspiring, joyful, and enduring images of this city and Israel were all around us. The one piece that burns still in my memory was the illustrated depiction of the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. You cannot shake the haunting image of what was in one moment the closest and furthest from peace that this great land experienced.
We met with the leadership from the LGBTQI Center in Tel Aviv, thanks to Gregg Levine and John Corlett. In true open door, open welcome, judgment -of -no -one- so- prevalent- in -this -community fashion, youth from all over and every faith (EVERY FAITH) are given support as they need it. We were welcomed as sisters and brothers and talked about the Cleveland Tel Aviv connections from the International Gay Games we hosted here in Northeast Ohio. And to travel to Jaffa and see the intersections of faith and commerce in one of the oldest ports in the world was a real lesson in history.
Ancient civilizations came to a head here: Roman, Greek, Judaic, Ottoman empires all have fingerprints on these ancient stones. The market in Tel Aviv reminded me so much of our own West Side Market, and the wall breaking, bridge building nature of sharing food is a universal truth. And then. And then we traveled to a magical place called Kiryat Gat, where the Jewish Federation of Cleveland supports the growing Ethiopian Israeli community. I was blown away. These ancient, beautiful, persecuted and resilient people are welcomed everyday and supported as they fulfill millennia dreams of return. The dance, music, FOOD, and deep civic and civil society building is made possible by generous support from Northeast Ohio’s Jewish community.
These connections are real, they are important and they are two-way streets. And the Jewish Federation of Cleveland is right there.
We then traveled to the Sea of Galilee, and for the first times among many on this journey I was speechless. To be where Jesus spoke of the Beatitudes was soulful and wondrous.
When we visited with the Kibbutz Nir David, we had the distinct privilege of meeting with our adopted sister city, Beit Shean--Valley of Springs. The similarities between our people were apparent from the beginning: gritty, multi-cultural, resilient, searching, pride without arrogance, civic responsibility and looking for a way forward.
I kept thinking about the work of Destination Cleveland and how we took our greatest assets and amplified them. The Kurdish Jewish community hosted us for the evening, and from the Cuyahoga to the River Jordan, we felt the connection. The connection this community has with my home community, the St. Clair Superior community, is also real. It is important. It is a two-way street. And the Jewish Federation of Cleveland is right there.
We then visited three places that work collaboratively, strategically, thoughtfully and beautifully EVERY SINGLE DAY.
- Havat Hashomer: an IDF army base that specifically works to re-integrate youth who have made mistakes, and creates a path for them to live lives of meaning and thrive in their second chances. Can you imagine this program here? Working with the future by meeting them where they are. Meeting the leader, Samuel, was a moment I will never forget. His charisma and emotional/human intelligence was unlike anything I've ever seen. And every one of his commanders is a woman. A group of boys who made a mistake, being given the chance to come back, aided and led and directed in their journey by young women. This is how societies thrive. And the Jewish Federation of Cleveland is right there.
- The Jerusalem Foundation: "Jerusalem is a complicated city that needs to care for its diverse residents." Amen. No truer words were ever spoken.
This organization programs specific events that invite and include and bring together Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Druze, Bedouin citizens and they are making real progress. From shared meals to community meetings to real opportunities for employment and empowerment. All of this, so Holy Jerusalem, the birth city of Judaism, Christianity and Islam can thrive together. And it's not easy. And it's real and important. And the Jewish Federation of Cleveland is right there.
- Meeting with Shadi Abu Jaber, the Palestinian Director of the Youth Futures program in East Jerusalem: this was a moving experience along the lines of Samuel from Havat Hashomer. Shadi said ten years ago he viewed Israel very differently than the view he held five years ago. Five years ago his kids were born, and he wants a better future for the Palestinian kids of Israel and the Jewish kids of Israel. He does this by tutoring, mentoring, hosting soccer tournaments for Arab Israeli students. And in this is the most sacred part of any holy city -- how to make tomorrow better for our children's children. These children who may come from different places and faiths and neighborhoods, find common ground, and Shadi inspires community engagement. And the Jewish Federation of Cleveland is right there. This work = real. This work = most important.
I will be meditating on this journey for the rest of my life. We as a group will continue this dialogue. With the goodness and guidance of Steve Hoffman, Oren Baratz, Jessica Cohen, Kelly Rubanenko, Elie Weiss and Cheryl Davis and the Jewish Federation of Cleveland this experience w ill continue to be real for the people who went on this journey and for the people who have yet to return. And we will all take up the mantel of building more two-way bridges and travelling more on the bridges already built.
But make no mistake, none of us travel to the City of Gold, the Holy Jerusalem. We follow in the words of the great Yiddish Poet Yitzchak Yasinowitz:
“One does not travel to Jerusalem. One returns. One ascends the road taken by generations, the path of longing on the way to redemption. One brings rucksacks stuffed with memories to each mountain each hill. IN THE COBBLED ALLEYWAYS ONE OFFERS A BLESSING FOR THE MEMORIES IN THE PAST WHICH HAVE BEEN RENEWED. ONE DOES NOT TRAVEL TO JERUSALEM. ONE RETURNS.”
This is real. This is important. Let us return as one Cleveland, one Cuyahoga County, one Northeastern Ohio, a diverse and united community, TOGETHER.
The Refugee Response Presents "No Place Like Home" REAP the Benefit
In 2010 the Refugee Response was established. Since inception the organization has been able to provide unique and important services to Cleveland’s new neighbors allowing children and families to excel in school and in life. Refugees resettled to Cleveland do better on average than those who resettle in other areas of the country. They work and they overwhelmingly give back to the city, making the most of the investment Cleveland places in them. The strength of organizations such as Catholic Charities, USCRI, Global Cleveland and US Together in providing critical support has allowed these families to make Cleveland their home. Coordination through the Refugee Services Collaborative which include health care and education providers has allowed for an unparalleled sophistication of support.
The Refugee Response provides a fourteen month long program of targeted support in education and employment training so that families can be safe and secure in the long term. These programs are critical to both the short and long term economic success and the social and emotional assimilation of our region’s newest community members. This support allows families to have the time and the opportunity to make Cleveland their home and to become engaged citizens of our community.
Our annual benefit this year is on Saturday, August 26th, 2017 for a summer evening at our nation's largest urban farm, the Ohio City Farm, overlooking our lakefront city skyline. Enjoy exciting culinary experiences from Cleveland's premiere chefs using produce from the farm. The evening will feature live performances from Opus 216 and the Lucky Ones, seasonal tastings from 18 of Cleveland's finest restaurants and caterers, farm tours, cocktails, the Cleveland Culinary Experience Raffle and much more.
The benefit this year is entitled "No Place Like Home." Through this event we will highlight the unique and valuable resources of this city we call home, and where so many of these new families hope to build a new home. We also want to underscore that fact that a refugee camp, where so many of these new families have just come from, is in fact, no place like home. Please join this most special evening with us and celebrate the diverse and wonderful place that is Cleveland.
For more details, please visit: https://www.refugeeresponse.org/benefit
My Immigration Story
How I met my wife, fell in love and got my green card. Thanks America!
By Neil Singh
I am not new to the immigration process. My parents migrated from the Island of Fiji in the Pacific to Australia when I was two and then eventually to New Zealand, where they settled. As a result, I spent nearly 34 years of my life in the trans-Tasman or Australasian circle, with the majority of that time in New Zealand, where my family adopted citizenship in the late 1990’s.
Today, people worldwide are able to communicate with relative ease using the Internet. In my case, online games led to me meeting my wife, Kristen, in 2014. With me in New Zealand and Kristen in Cleveland, there were definitely challenges we both had to accept in forming our relationship. It took more than two years of letter writing, video conferencing and communication for us to establish that we were right for each other and that it was time for us to move forward and test the tangibility of our relationship.
In September of 2016, I decided that it was time to take action and visit the USA. At first, I spent much time, many months in fact, researching my best options for coming here. New Zealand happens to be one of the few lucky countries that shares a Visa Waiver program with the U.S. New Zealanders can visit for up to 90 days without a visa.
So I opted to visit the U.S. by applying for a visa waiver, not knowing what to expect when meeting Kristen. I booked my plane tickets with a return date to New Zealand within the 90-days allowance. I figured if our relationship was indeed genuine, as it seemed then, living together as a couple for three months days would certainly validate it.
I arrived in Texas from Auckland on December 26, the day after Christmas. Two months later, Kristen and I decided it was time to make a serious commitment.
Because neither of us knew the immigration process very well, we looked online thinking that we could follow the typical Fiancée Visa application and change my status from a tourist on a visa waiver to a fiancée of an American citizen. That would have been a mistake.
That process would have required me to return to New Zealand once my travel visa ended and then wait nearly 18 months to be reviewed, interviewed and processed by the U.S. Embassy in Australia. The last thing I wanted to do was to go back without knowing when I could see my loved one again.
Global Cleveland referred me to Erin Brown, who operates an immigration law firm in Cleveland. Erin was candid. She asked me whether I wanted to stay here or not and what steps was I prepared to take to make it possible.
My goal was a Permanent Resident card, also know as a Green Card because it once was green. As a Legal Permanent Resident, or LPR, I would be allowed to live and work permanently in the United States and could apply for citizenship down the road.
The staff at Global Cleveland provided me with guidance and support at this challenging time when my immigration status was in limbo and often I did not know what to do. Wenzhu Sun was especially helpful. She had gone through the same process to be with her husband, who is from Cleveland. She explained to me how things worked and constantly reminded me to stay positive.
So I visited Erin Brown and discussed my case. Erin outlined the fees and the conditions of the application in a contract and confronted me with a decision earlier than I expected. She advised that we should get married and file a new application with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
On the 13th of March, 2017, Kristen and I got married. I returned to Erin, who then guided me through the immigration process step by step. We had to submit the following documents to USCIS:
- I-130 Petition for Alien Relative
- I-485 Application to Adjust Status
- I-765 Application for Employment Authorization
- I-131 Application for Advanced Parole
- G-325 for Petitioner and Beneficiary (enclosed within the I-130)
- I-864 Affidavit of Support from petitioner and co-sponsor
- I-94 Admission Record
- A sealed medical examination conducted by USCIS approved clinics
- Birth certificates and passports
It was a lot of paper work, and each step of the process took time. We filed in March. It took four months for USCIS to process the application. The cost including, legal expertise, was around $4,000. If you choose not to use a lawyer, then you can probably do it for about $2,500. But I recommend an immigration lawyer. It is a lot of paper work and not wise to make mistakes on any of the forms required in the process.
Each form was submitted at the request of USCIS and followed by certain testing processes conducted by the Department of Homeland Security. These include a biometric test, where I had to report to be fingerprinted and have my eyes scanned for a background check.
Finally, there was a face-to-face interview.
I dressed formally, as instructed. Both Kristen and I were ready to answer personal questions. We were asked for details about how we met, how long we had known each other, our communication prior to me coming to the USA, and whether we had met before my arrival. (We had not).
For genuine couples like Kristen and I, these questions were no problem. We know each other very well and have spent years forming a close relationship.
The interview took about 30 minutes. At the end, we were told that my application was successful.
I can’t describe the feeling. I was relieved. It had been many months of waiting nervously and hoping that the outcome would be successful. The focus was very much for my wife and I to start our lives together.
With a green card, it means we can finally create the life and family we want. I was very happy and so was my wife. When I told my family, they were happy as well.
I worked hard in New Zealand to earn my master’s degree in business and marketing but the career opportunities were just not available to me in that smaller country. Coming to the USA means greater opportunities because it is a much bigger country, one that appreciates innovative, creative and entrepreneurial people like myself who desire to contribute and create success here.
In my heart, I know that this is only the beginning. It is simply one opportunity and must be used as a foundation to create others and this is how I feel now.
*My immigration process is unique to my situation and will not necessarily apply to you. I hope you enjoy my story, but I caution against applying it to your own situation if you hope to immigrate to America. Each case is different, and so is the process that the U.S. immigration system demands.
Ohio's First African American Entrepreneurship Conference
Join business and community leaders at the Presidents’ Council conference
The Presidents' Council Business Conference on August 21-22 is presented in collaboration with Downtown Cleveland Alliance and the Commission on Economic Inclusion. It is a unique opportunity to directly engage with those who share in The Presidents' Council mission of closing gaps that negatively impact minority communities; have a shared passion for, and understanding of, the issues and needs of African American business owners; and actively seek progress in removing barriers linked to those challenges.
The conference program on August 22 features keynote speakers Susan L. Taylor, editor-in-chief emerita of Essence magazine, and David E. Gilbert, president and CEO of Destination Cleveland and the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission.
It also will include panel discussions led by regional business and community leaders on these topics:
- Innovations and How to Protect Them
- Access to Capital: Everyone Needs It, How Do You Get It?
- Risk Management and Succession Planning
- Expanding Your Business in Today's Political and Economic Climate
There will be a kick-off golf outing on Monday, August 21 at Canterbury Golf Course followed by a welcome reception in the evening. Click for more information.
For more information and sponsorship options please call (216) 771-8702 ext. 205 or email [email protected].
Friends of Global Cleveland, Dedicated to Helping International Young Professionals
A new kind of young professionals group emerged July 13 when the Friends of Global Cleveland held its kick off party in Tremont. Young adults from around the world descended on the Ukrainian Museum and Archives for a night of networking and fellowship.
Organizers hope it is only the first of many such events. Friends of Global Cleveland is dedicated to helping international young professionals find success and fulfillment in Northeast Ohio.
"We want to connect and engage international young professionals, help them learn more about local communities, and make Cleveland a home for everyone." -- Yulu Li, the President of Friends of Global Cleveland
The kick off party was an auspicious beginning, but group leaders expect to make a bigger splash September 9. That’s when the Friends of Global Cleveland will co- hosts InterCLE2017 at the Global Center for Health Innovation downtown. The free event is aimed at welcoming the more than 6,000 international students studying at area universities, in hopes more will stay to pursue careers in Northeast Ohio.
International students are a potent economic force. They are more likely than most college students to be honing in-demand skills in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Typically bilingual and well travelled, they can help the region to compete in the global economy.
But they are also far from home and often alone as they navigate a foreign culture. Friends of Global Cleveland saw a need to connect the scattered students and build mutual support systems.
First, introductions were in order. The kick-off reception attracted more than 100 young adults from an atlas of nations, including China, India, New Zealand, Russia, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Romania and Egypt. They enjoyed international foods and wine and engaged in networking games on the museum grounds on a balmy summer night.
They were welcomed by museum director Andy Fedynsky, who connected with his multicultural audience by describing his immigrant roots. He said he was born in a displaced persons camp in Europe after World War Two and came to America with his parents as a refugee.
“It’s Cleveland’s enormous strength that we were built by immigrants,” he said.
David Fleshler, the director of international programs at Case Western Reserve University and chair of the board of Global Cleveland, told the young people they represented the hopes and the spirit of a multicultural city.
Friends of Global Cleveland is open to international students, international professionals and globally minded young professionals. To join, fill in the FGC Membership Form or contact FGC via email.
Ohio Looks For More Immigrant Success Stories
Led by welcoming agencies across Ohio, state agencies are seeking ways to speed skilled immigrants back to their professions
A statewide welcoming initiative is gaining momentum as Ohio’s major cities share ideas for attracting international talent to boost the state’s economy.
Members of the Ohio Welcoming Initiatives Network, including Global Cleveland, met in Columbus July 19 and shared their collective vision with key state officials. The aim is to shape policies that would make it easier for immigrants and refugees to apply their talents and succeed in their new home.
“It says a lot that people are sitting down and having these conversations,” said Jessica Whale, the director of global talent and economic development for Global Cleveland. “The group has been able to identify needs and trends we would like to address at the state level.”
OWIN emerged in 2015 to help the state compete in the knowledge economy. Through the network, representatives of the state’s welcoming cities and counties meet to share best practices and to support local efforts to welcome immigrants and international students.
Research shows that international talent is key to a region’s success in the global economy. Ohio’s foreign-born population, while small, is unusually well educated and skilled. For example, more than 40 percent of Ohio’s immigrants hold college degrees, nearly double the native-born average. Meanwhile, Ohio’s international students are more likely than their native peers to be pursuing degrees in new economy fields like science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Across the land, immigrants are about twice as likely as non-immigrants to launch a business.
It makes sense to help immigrants to use their business skills as soon as possible. Yet many are stuck in low-pay jobs because their overseas degrees or credentials are not recognized here. Others may face language barriers, or a lack access to financing to buy a home or launch a startup.
Meeting at state office buildings, network members discussed these issues with representatives of the state departments of Education, Health and Human Services, Workforce Transformation, as well as the office of Governor John Kasich.
“They recognize the need for international talent inclusion,” said Whale, who attended the meetings. “Questions are commonly asked about foreign-educated professionals. If someone wants to get back into their profession here in the US, what’s the route they should take? How can education and credential policies allow for foreign education and skills?”
Solutions could include accreditation support and career guidance of the kind the state extends to military veterans making the transition to the civilian workforce.
By documenting pathways to careers, the state could help immigrant professionals return to careers more quickly, speeding personal success and enriching communities.
Cities and counties represented in the welcoming network include Cleveland and Cuyahoga County County, Akron and Summit County and Toledo and Lucas County, as well as Columbus, Dayton and Cincinnati. Learn more about OWIN at https://www.welcomingamerica.org/sites/default/files/Ohio.pdf
Ask a Boss: How Do I Deal With Useless Informational Interviews?
Author: Alison Green
Dear Boss,
I work in a high-profile field that’s extremely hard to break into. As I’ve become more successful, I’ve had a lot of people reach out to me and ask if they can have some of my time to ask some questions. I’m usually happy to say yes to these requests, and either answer questions via email or through a short phone call.
However, the past few times I’ve become dismayed with some parts of the conversations, and I’m wondering if I should be giving feedback, especially to the recent grads, on what works and doesn’t work with this kind of networking.
For example, I always ask people to email a list of questions to me in advance. I say it’s so I can prepare, but it’s also because I want to make sure they’ve put some thought into what they want to ask. Unfortunately, all too often the questions are impossibly broad (“How do you break into this field?”) or asking basic information (“What are the biggest companies in the industry?”). It feels like a waste of time for me to answer questions they could easily google.
Second, while I love my work and I’m very enthusiastic about what I do, I try to share some of the negatives of this business. For one, most people starting out don’t make very much money. In fact, many people, myself included, do this work part-time at first while working another job. Obviously, that’s not fun to hear, but I feel like that’s the sort of info people want from this kind of informational interview. However, some of these networkers really push back hard when I tell them this — they mention a friend of a friend who was very successful right away, or they express skepticism that I’m telling the truth. Now, nobody has to believe what I say (and I usually respond by saying, “Well, I hope you’re the exception!”) but it feels rude when someone discounts what I’m telling them right off the bat.
Third, I often find that these networkers put too much emphasis on the idea that I’m going to connect them with other people in the industry and create some kind of shortcut to success. I can sometimes make referrals, but I only do that if I think it’s mutually beneficial — not just because someone asks. Recently I had a networker who barely kept up the pretense of wanting to talk to me, but instead seemed way more interested in me as a conduit to other, more important people. Which is naturally insulting.
Finally, while I’m happy to spend 20 minutes on the phone, I can’t do more. And yet half the time people ask me to look over their work and give detailed feedback — something that can take several hours. One college student just assumed that I was going to do that, and acted as though the phone call was a formality. He was very discouraged when I said no, and I was too, because I thought I was helping him by answering questions and clearly he didn’t really care.
I’ve had a string of these experiences lately and it’s making me want to start saying no to people who ask for my time because it’s too frustrating. But I also wonder if there’s an opportunity here for me to circle back and say something like “I really enjoyed speaking with you, but I have some pointers if you do another one of these informational interviews in the future.”
What do you think?
Yeah, there’s a huge epidemic of bad networking out there.
One thing that’s especially common is people asking for informational calls and meetings when what they really mean is, “I’m hoping you will hire me or connect me to someone who will hire me, but since I don’t want to say that outright, I’m pretending I’m seeking more general advice.” Or sometimes, especially with people right out of school, it means, “I heard I should set up these meetings but I don’t really know what I should ask you” — and even then it still usually comes with a side of, “… and I’m hoping this will somehow lead to a job.”
It’s annoying to be on the receiving end of this because it’s a bait-and-switch: You were asked to set aside time to give advice and insight, and that’s what you agreed to, but the person has a different agenda entirely and in many cases isn’t being particularly thoughtful about your time. Part of the blame for this lies with the career-advice industry, which tends to encourage people to do really aggressive networking, and even outright encourages them to frame these requests as “informational interviews.”
For the record, an actual informational interview is for learning about a field you’re new to or otherwise want an insider’s point of view on. They’re for getting information that’s more nuanced than you can find in other places — things like which companies in the field are the best and worst to work for, what the job is really like day-to-day, what kind of salary progression is typical, what a realistic career path might look like, and so forth. There’s huge value to these kinds of conversations, and it’s a shame that more people don’t do them for real.
The other parts of your experience with bad networkers aren’t uncommon either — the pushback when you’re telling people something they don’t want to hear, and the presumptuousness about how much they can ask you for. Those two things seem to be most common with students and recent grads, and I suspect it’s an effect of them not yet having had a chance to calibrate their norms about how the work world operates. That said, there’s definitely some plain old selfishness in there too, especially when you consider that there are plenty of people in that stage of life who don’t conduct themselves that way.
So, what can you do? First, it’s great that you’re asking people to send you their questions ahead of time. (When I do that, I actually find that about a third of the requesters are never heard from again, presumably because they didn’t want to take the time to do it, despite being okay with asking me for my time.) But if people send back questions that are overly broad or that they could answer for themselves with five minutes of googling, it’s fine to say something like, “You know, these are pretty fundamental things about the field that you’ll be able to easily find online. Because my schedule tends to be so tight, I’m going to suggest you do that first. Once you do, if you have more nuanced questions that you can’t find answers to online, I’d be glad to set up some time to talk.”
And then with people who you do talk to and who end up committing other faux pas, yes, say something about it! After all, they’re asking you for advice on breaking into your field, and this is relevant advice. You could frame it this way: “Can I give you some advice on something you haven’t asked about but that I think will be useful to know? I was glad to talk to you, but you had asked me for an informational interview when I think you were looking more for a foot in the door. It’s generally not a good idea to ask for one when you’re hoping for the other, so I’d recommend just being really up front with people about what you’re hoping for from them.” Or, “You pushed back pretty hard on some of what I told you. I know it’s tough to hear X when you’re hoping for Y, but I’d really go into these conversations with an open mind since you’re asking people for the benefit of their experience and advice.”
With people who ask you for something more than you’re willing to do, like giving feedback on their work or rewriting their résumé, just be direct about it: “I’m happy to answer a few questions about the field, but my schedule is pretty busy and I can’t do more.” Or even, “What you’re asking for would take several hours to do well, so I have to say no to that.” If you’d feel more comfortable adding more of an explanation, you can say, “My schedule is in triage mode right now” (I get a ton of use out of that phrase) — but you don’t need to do that.
And really, these are people who are looking for connections and help finding work — and yet they’re inadvertently turning off their targets! It’s a kindness to let them know.
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