Some background on my Aunt Judy. She was a tough lady. She was a buyer, mostly paper goods, for super market chains and distribution companies. It was almost exclusively a men’s world, but that didn’t bother her. And, she always drove a sports car, just like the guys. I think this story comes through my Dad. But it illustrates a wonderful point, and a point that is particularly important to many of us ADHDers.
My Aunt once applied for a job. As I recall it was a big position at a well known company. She felt she had a great interview, but then didn’t hear anything for several days. Based on the interview she was expecting to be contacted. But, still nothing.
Being that she was a real go-getter, she didn’t wait too long. After a week she followed up with a phone call to the guy who had interviewed her. I honestly don’t remember if the job ended up working out or not. But that’s not the point. When she followed up, she learned that this company did not call applicants back after their interviews, no matter how well the interview went. They would only hire people who wanted the job bad enough to follow up.
Obviously, not every situation is quite the mind bleep that that one was. But it still illustrates a great point. Following up shows initiative, desire, interest, a positive outlook, and perseverance. It could be the thing that sets you apart from the field and get you the job. It can also be a valuable learning experience. If you find out that you finished second, at least you know you are barking of the right tree, and your follow up could lead to opportunities with that company in the future. If you didn’t fare so well, a brief but frank conversation about what you were lacking may be painful, but can give you just as valuable information in terms of how to proceed in your job search.
I think this is especially important for those ADHDers who fall into the traps of negative thought patterns, living in our head too much, or those who suffer from anxiety. We can convince ourselves not to follow up for a variety of negative reasons. But, we will never know unless we do follow up. And, either way, we will get more information with which to proceed smartly. (Plus, it’s almost never as bad as you think!)