Adding the hiring manager for the company you are applying to on LinkedIn?

Chessala

Heya,

I have been applying for jobs recently (redundancy isn't nice ) and after having made it to the 3rd interview (a case study, which seems to be the last step), I added the hiring manager a LinkedIn invite. This invite was accepted though I'm not sure sure anymore if this was a good idea or if it was too pushy?

I handed in the case study over a week ago but had contacted them on tuesday to know if everything arrived as my provider had been acting up. I got a very quick reply to let me know that everything arrived and they are waiting for feedback. Ever since I haven't heard anything anymore.

The Jobvite system they have still says the application is "In Process", whatever that means at this point. With the LinkedIn invite and the email on Tuesday (the invite was afterwards) I'm a bit wary to email already again.

I just really want this job and while I keep looking for others, this would the preferred one.

Would be grateful for any input, sorry it got so long!

Mrs OBumble

Just wait. Painful though it is.

And in future, I wouldn't add the hiring managed on LinkedIn: you haven't actually worked with them yet, and you might not yet. Keep it for people you have worked with, or people you know on a semi-professional basis outside of work and who you would do a work-based favour for (eg introduce them to someone else they want to contact).

Stheno

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Just wait. Painful though it is.

And in future, I wouldn't add the hiring managed on LinkedIn: you haven't actually worked with them yet, and you might not yet. Keep it for people you have worked with, or people you know on a semi-professional basis outside of work and who you would do a work-based favour for (eg introduce them to someone else they want to contact).

Agree with this spot on

Chessala

Cheers for that!

When I got my first job here over 2 years ago I did the same and fortunately things worked out that time and I never regretted it. Will keep the advice in mind for the future .

Jim2007

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

And in future, I wouldn't add the hiring managed on LinkedIn: you haven't actually worked with them yet, and you might not yet. Keep it for people you have worked with, or people you know on a semi-professional basis outside of work and who you would do a work-based favour for (eg introduce them to someone else they want to contact).

This amounts to a very passive use of LinkedIn and not a strategy that is going to get you many job offers!

I often add people who I have met only once or twice, including people I've met while job seeking. Sometimes I'll contact them again to recommend someone else, see if there are any new positions opening up or seeking an introduction to someone they know and on several occasions they have got back to me about up coming positions or to see if I could recommend someone. Most people I know do the same!

In fact I got my new position through someone who turned me down twice in the past - they send the position details to their contacts (me included of course) and I responded!

LinkedIn is a tool for networking, not a Rolodex.

Mrs OBumble

Jim2007 wrote: »

This amounts to a very passive use of LinkedIn and not a strategy that is going to get you many job offers!

I often add people who I have met only once or twice, including people I've met while job seeking. Sometimes I'll contact them again to recommend someone else, see if there are any new positions opening up or seeking an introduction to someone they know and on several occasions they have got back to me about up coming positions or to see if I could recommend someone. Most people I know do the same!

In fact I got my new position through someone who turned me down twice in the past - they send the position details to their contacts (me included of course) and I responded!

LinkedIn is a tool for networking, not a Rolodex.

I don't think we're actually disagreeing, Jim2007. What you've described is what I meant by a "semi-professional basis".

But I reckon it's worth being careful, though. There are some people who I added 'cos I met them at networking events in the height of the recession, but who I would not recommend. Mostly it's simply because I don't know them well enough, other times it's 'cos I've formed an impression that they're a plonker / pretender / etc. So if a friend says "Oh, I see on LinkedIn that you know Jenny, I'm looking for a trainer, is she any good?" - it could be that my negative reaction costs them the job - even though it's based on only the most flimsy of observations rather than a solid work-colleague relationship.

Industries are different, of course eg LinkedIn whoring* is par for the course in marketing / PR / communcations. But in IT I'm more cautios about only recommending people who I know are good.


* a direct quote from someone who unashamedly does a lot of it