following up cv's

[itinerant baker]

Something mentioned by lightnix in the Freelancers Ripped Off Again thread made me think that perhaps I'm not being as proactive as I should. :)

 

 

Like many of the other freelancers on here, I try and get my CV around as many relevant companies as I can to try and get as much work as I can. I'd be interested in hearing what everyone else's opinion of following them up is and the best ways to go about it. Part of me doesn't want to follow up as it's imposing on someone else's time when they might be busy and I don't want to give the impression of being a pain in the arse (as no one wants to work with someone who is), but another part of me is aware that the CV is just a bit of paper that can easily get lost and forgotten about, and a polite call can both alert them to your existence and also demonstrate keenness and interest - besides, it's the squeaky wheel that gets the grease (or at least the work).

 

 

I'd also be interested in hearing the opinion of those of you on the receiving end of the CV's.

[Ynot]

Personally, I'd say that a CV in ANY line of business is like an MOT - really only valid on day of issue.

Today's CV is out of date as soon as you do something different, so keep updating it and send copies to the most likely employers regularly (though bombarding them with a new on every week would be just a tad OTT! :))

[TallMike]

True!

 

Not sure if I'd employ anyone on the merits of what they did two years ago!

[Bobbsy]

I'm retired now but used to be on the receiving end of quite a few CVs from freelancers every week.

 

I'd say your instincts are right: it's worth following up your mailed CV with a phone call a few days later "just to make sure you received it and to see if you have anything coming up". However, you have to tread a fine line between "showing willing" and "hassling". Everyone has good and bad days (or busy and quiet days) so if the person on the end of the phone seems rushed (or if a secretary seems unwilling to put you through) accept it with good grace and mark it for another call back in a couple of weeks. A cheery "no problem, I'll call back soon" will do you much better than being pushy.

 

If a second ring back doesn't do any better, drop it for now and send a new CV in a year (or when you have something genuinely new to add).

 

I can only speak for the company I worked for but we used a lot of freelancers. We had a list of people we knew (and who knew our ways of working) and we'd tend to stick to known quantities. However, there was always some "churn" and frankly it was a matter of luck whether we had plenty of freelance on the books...or if our best 3 had all taken staff jobs and we wanted to talk to new people.

 

Obviously, I can only speak for my experience, but hope this helps.

 

Bob

[Guest lightnix]

I've never been a receiver of CVs, but what I used to do once I'd sent them out, made the follow-up call and perhaps got to meet the potential client would be to ask whether they would like me to keep them informed of my availability, by e-mail, from time to time.

 

People will usually say "Yes" and that's what you do: once every couple of months, send a "My Availability" e-mail to all contacts, just to keep your name in the picture. I list dates as being "Free", "Pencilled" or "Booked" and finish off the message with a quick line or two about what I've been up to recently (gig-wise).

 

It seems to work for most people.

[w/robe]

send a "My Availability" e-mail to all contacts, just to keep your name in the picture.

 

This appears to be a good idea. I do receive CVs and have employed people from them. Certainly the ones that arrive on real paper are more likely to be filed than ones that are emailed, but that may be just me.

 

What I particularly dislike are when I receive emailed CVs that are sent to a huge number of recipients. While I realise that we are all just trying to find work to pay the bills it is nice for people to pretend that they really want to work with me and for this company so at least tweak the covering letter and email them out individually.

[johnhuson]

I can only speak for the company I worked for but we used a lot of freelancers. We had a list of people we knew (and who knew our ways of working) and we'd tend to stick to known quantities. However, there was always some "churn" and frankly it was a matter of luck whether we had plenty of freelance on the books...or if our best 3 had all taken staff jobs and we wanted to talk to new people.

 

As someone currently on the receiving end of freelancers CV's I think Bob's statement above pretty much sums up how most companies work (ourselves included).

 

What we do when we receive a CV is send out an application form to be added to our freelance database so the person at least knows we have received their CV. It's amazing how many people can't be bothered to fill out a 4 page application form to get some work!

 

When the need arises for a freelancer and all our regulars are unavailable or already working for us we will then check the database for who is the most suitable to fill the role.

[Guest lightnix]

...It's amazing how many people can't be bothered to fill out a 4 page application form to get some work!

It's equally amazing, how when you go looking for new clients, work from your existing ones often suddenly appears and starts to fill up your diary

 

Now... where's that Spirit Design freelance crew form gone - the one I picked up three weeks ago?

[zonino]

I do receive CVs and have employed people from them. Certainly the ones that arrive on real paper are more likely to be filed than ones that are emailed, but that may be just me.

 

Now this is where I fall down, I personally prefer electronic communication (I'm so very close to a paperless office...) and I'd prefer to recieve CV's via email (although to multiple recepients would never happen from me) also if I have them in electronic format I can browse through them at my leisure (on a train journey, while sat at the conference gig) etc.

 

maybe a poll is in order... Clicky

[mac.calder]

I also run a near paperless office - namely due to the fact that my printer ran out of ink 9 months ago and its cartridges are a pain in the rear to find (and my last attempt at a refill was disasterous).

 

Mass emailing to get yourself "out there" has always been a big no-no in my books, so when I do send out a CV (not as often as I should) I am careful to make sure that the email is unmistakably unique. I occasionally send out updated CVs to any regulars in a mass-email, but I would never even consider sending mass emails to prospective clients.

 

Follow up calls are important - no matter if it is emailed or posted - I usually call through the front office to make sure I am not interupting anything (and leave a message along the lines of "Just calling to confirm that my CV arrived safely, and if convenient, I will call back next week")

[obsoperator]

As someone who used to solicit CVs, I want to observe that show business seems to be the worst field as far as announcing that a position has been filled with someone else. In 30 years, I can count on one hand the number of times I've been notified that the position I applied for has been given to another.

 

So when I'm hiring, I religiously send at least a duplicated message that the position has been filled to all applicants. I don't believe that our intense work schedules or limited staffing justify not doing so. It's bad behaviour.

 

As this comment implies, it is absolutely vital to follow up on the CV. Alas, you should also never assume that someone you once worked for, and who undoubtedly remembers you, will actually think of you while he's trying to fill the position. If you hear that there's an opening suitable for you, contact the office right away.