Converting a cold call to a company into a job

[supertouring]

Need some advice from the PH massive.

I am currently looking for work and have contacted a company directly with regards to vacancies. I have very specific expertise in their area so it is not just a random "see if it sticks" type approach.

So emailed CV via website contact email address and followed up with a phone call a few days later. I was put through to what I can gather is an "operations manager" who checked if they had received CV, they had not, so asked me to re-send.

I made Contact again a week or so later and was told it had to go to Director level (I assume small company) but due to holiday he was not able to look at it.

Followed up a week or so later and was told (all by Ops Man) that there was still no response from Director, he is a busy man and he has other more pressing issues. Although ops man did say that don't take it as a "No" yet but not sure when he could provide any further updates.

I have no reason to believe that I am being fobbed off, ops man was willing to take my call when it would have been easy for him not to. He was pleasant and (I believe) honest about the situation.

I left it saying that I would contact him again in about a month to see if there was any progress.

I know that there may or many not be a vacancy, which I am fine with, but I would prefer to be told.

I plan to call again at the time I said, but do not want to hassle them such that I get a response from them to just shut me up.

Also, I just dont want to leave this open after the next call as I don;t think it will get looked at without me chasing it again.

Any suggestions on how to progress this?

[Stevenj214]

Use your "in" with the Operations Manager and ask him if he could set up a short meeting for you with the relevant Director at a convenient time.

[Original Poster]

Chase the director directly.

[Jubal]

Mate, it's sales. Keep chasing the guy who has the need (or would if there's a vacancy). You will be 10 times more attractive because you come without agency fees but it requires persistence. Try ringing odd times like lunch or after 6pm. Don't leave it a month.

[supertouring]

Thanks for responses.

I agree that setting up a meeting with director is the best way forward, but the added complexity is that the company is based abroad. Not an issue, happy to jump in a plane to chase this, but does make it a little less straightforward.

Jubal (Derek) cheers mate. Agree that it is a sales activity, which has never been a strength, but I will chase sooner than I originally planned and push harder.

[Stevenj214]

It could spectacularly fail, but jump on the plane and turn up to ask for 15 minutes of the Director's time?

[supertouring]

Stevenj214 said:

It could spectacularly fail, but jump on the plane and turn up to ask for 15 minutes of the Director's time?

I think this is genuinely a good idea and if I knew for certain he was in the office it could just about work. Unfortunately, I suspect he is not physically in the office very often, based on what the ops man said (frustratedly) during one of my calls, so is more likely to fail in a big way.

[Jubal]

The international dimension does make it trickier. Get the main man's email and try to set up a meeting that way. Sounds like you have something he wants but he just doesn't know it yet. GL.

[blindswelledrat]

supertouring said:

Thanks for responses.

I agree that setting up a meeting with director is the best way forward, but the added complexity is that the company is based abroad. Not an issue, happy to jump in a plane to chase this, but does make it a little less straightforward.

.

Im not sure what you do, but surely this is all a bit of a waste of time?
If he had the need to employ someone in your position he definitely would have made contact.
The fact that he hasn't, strongly suggests that he doesn't?
Or have I misread this and you are selling a service as opposed to looking for a job?

[supertouring]

blindswelledrat said:

If he had the need to employ someone in your position he definitely would have made contact.

The problem I have is whether the director has actually seen the CV yet or not. From what I can make out, it has not reached the top of his pile (and I can fully understand why that is the case but cannot for the life of me work out why ONLY he can make the decision) and therefore he does not know I am out there yet

I see this as an opportunity and will continue to chase until someone says NO!

[blindswelledrat]

Fair enough attitude.
My confusion is to why you see it as an opportunity?
From your description you seem to be merely saying that one random company exists and may or may not need your services.
WHy the fixation on this specific company?

[lestag]

blindswelledrat said:

If he had the need to employ someone in your position he definitely would have made contact.

Not always, sometimes the directors/owners of a company do not have the ....what phrase am i looking for....focus on day to day operations... they always busy looking for the next job/product etc.. until a crisis occurs. My step-daughter chased a part time job advertised in the paper. Took about 2 months of the owner delaying interviews, missing interviews and she ended up getting the job, even after being.. hmmm...forthright... with the boss about his pissing about.

Hang in there until you get a yes or a no.