How do you manage your expectations as a candidate?

The time has come and you are ready for a new challenge offering new responsibilities that will bring a fresh approach to those ever so painful Monday mornings. In the ideal world, you would send out your CV, have an interview the next day, get offered 10k more than you are currently on, work closer to home with flexible working hours and have a clear path for progression. Right? The truth is, finding employment and the perfect position isn’t as simple as this. Utilising my experience of working in the recruitment industry and having been a candidate myself, I have written this blog on how to manage your expectations as a candidate.

I have sent my application, why haven’t they got back to me?

This is one of the most frustrating things of the process. You are eagerly anticipating whether you have an interview, checking your email every half an hour to see if anything has come through. Realistically, it can take prospective employers a number of weeks to sift through the CVs and shortlist. I would recommend being patient for 1- 2 weeks, giving the relevant people time to filter through the applications. Then, after that period of time passes be proactive in either emailing or calling to request feedback. When applying for a role we have to remember there are various chains such as internal HR/Recruitment Coordinators and Hiring Managers. If one person in the chain is on leave, or not in the office it can slow the whole process down.

I had my interview yesterday, why haven’t they come back to me?

I can fully appreciate eagerness, and if I’m honest I too would be chasing for feedback the day after my interview! Working in recruitment, I always endeavour to get feedback as soon as possible. However, it’s often the case that feedback can take up to 5 working days. The old phrase ‘no news, is good news’ is true. The longer it takes to get feedback (within a reasonable timeframe) could be for various reasons such as getting permission to make an offer. It is important to remember that if you haven’t received feedback a day or two later, not to get discouraged as it doesn’t mean your application hasn’t been successful.

Why have they offered me the same salary or less than I am currently on?

When this happens I just want to bang my head against the wall, especially when the potential employer has the current salary and expectation on a piece of paper in front of them! Of course, some career moves are for professional purposes but generally speaking people don’t want to regress. If I was to put the question back to yourself; do you always outline your current salary (including all benefits) and what your expectations are from the offset of the recruitment process? Every day I hear candidates say that they are negotiable on salary. However, by saying this it only leaves the potential to be disappointed when it comes to the offer stage. The employer is making an offer based on what they feel the market is paying, rather than your expectations. Therefore, be clear about your expectations from the start. Be realistic, don’t undervalue yourself and research other adverts for similar positions.

At Critical Project Resourcing, I personally head up the Civils and Structure sector. I specialise in the recruitment of geotechnical engineering, bridge and structures, building structures, rail civil engineering and heavy civils structures. If you would like to discuss anything in this blog in further detail or if you are looking for work in the Civils and Structure sector, please contact me on 01732 455300.

Sebastian Robbins
Civils and Structure Section Leader