How to Make a Long Hiring Process a Little Easier - Career Advice Blog for Millennials

How to Make a Long Hiring Process a Little Easier - Career Advice Blog for Millennials It can be extremely frustrating when you’re looking for a job and it seems like it takes ages to get through the interviewing and hiring process. In 2015, it was taking double the time to get through the interview process as it did in 2010. Just like you want to find the perfect job for you, companies want to find the ideal hire for them. It’s a waste of their money and time if the one they choose doesn’t end up working out, so they want to make sure they have the right fit. You want to do the same. While it still can be frustrating, here are some tips to help make dealing with it a little better. Do Your Research Find out everything you can about the hiring process before your first interview â€" or, if you know you’re really impatient, before you even submit your application. This can help you to prepare and have an idea of what you’re in for if you get an interview. A lot of companies post hiring information in the career area of their websites. If you can’t find it there, search the company on a site like Glassdoor to see if anyone has included information about the interviewing process. Many people will post sample interview questions or how long it took to hear back. Send an Email Sending a thank you email after a job interview is always a good idea. It also keeps you in the interviewer’s mind and may help you get a response faster. If you didn’t ask at the end of the interview, it’s also a good chance to see what the next steps are so you can get a feel for a timeframe. You can also ask if there’s anything else the employer would like you to provide. Maybe they want references from previous jobs, or they’ll want to do a drug test or background check before they move any further in the process. A compelling follow-up email doesn’t just have to be a thank you, either, though that should definitely be included. It can also reiterate why you’re the best person for the job, so they know you’re not a candidate they should let be grabbed up by another company. Don’t Stop Applying You don’t want to be honed in and obsessing over a single job, even if it’s your dream one. Keep applying to other positions that look promising. This can help take your mind off things, and you may get competitive offers. Who knows â€" one of those other jobs could end up being better than your dream one. You never would’ve found it if you were preoccupied with the first job. Be Reasonable Yes, it’s hard â€" but you have to think about what the company is going through as well. They need to find the perfect candidate, both in terms of skill and personality. Business doesn’t just stop when they’re hiring someone new. Some huge project may come up that requires all hands on deck, or their hiring manager may have had a family emergency or illness. They may not email you in exactly a week like they said they would. Give them a few days of flexible time. If they don’t respond within a week or two of when they promised, then consider reaching out. Make sure you aren’t pushy or come off as impatient or not confident. You want to be able to keep your cool. It’s important you don’t contact the company when you’re flustered and anxious. That’s a recipe for disaster. You don’t want to act on impulse and do something you’ll regret later. Wait until you collect your thoughts and emotions before you call or send any emails. You Can’t Wait Around Forever At some point, you’re going to have to let things go. You can’t put off offers from other companies if they’re there. If you do get competitive offers, let the other company know in a polite way and see if there’s any way you could quicken the interviewing process. If they really want you, there’s a good chance they can schedule another interview pretty quickly. However, you may have to take an offer from another company, and that’s OK. If they end up giving you a job offer down the line, it’ll be your choice whether or not to stay with the current company or go to the one you loved. You may end up loving your new job so much, you’ll forget all about that other company! Dealing with a long hiring process is tedious, but there are ways to cope. How did you deal with a long hiring process? Share it with us below, and be sure to subscribe to Punched Clocks to get the latest career advice! Get everything you need to build a career you love by signing up for the newsletter.