how long do you wait for a response?

[prizm]

I have sent out several applications for work and havent been hearing much except from people who do not want to pay enough for me to live in their citys.
I have several contacts also helping at specific theatres. Many of those contacts have said things like it looks good or I think you have it, but the theatre itself has not contacted me personally. How long do you normally have to wait to hear something?
When I lived in NYC I heard back sometimes the same day but never more then 2 weeks, but I am now competing for much larger jobs and much longer contracts in regional theatre. Is there a diffrence?

[Mac Calder]

It is largely dependant on the company. However if applications close on day X, I would expect them to make first contact with you within 2-8 business days (depending on how many applications they receive and how busy they are). Some companies are odd though, in the fact that if applications close on the monday, they allow late applications for a few days and do not touch the applications until every one is submitted.

[MatthewShiner]

I don't think there is a standard.

I have to admit, that are times I forgot to send out notice I have filled a position to all people who submitted resumes.

[MarcieA]

I don't think there is a standard.

I have to admit, that are times I forgot to send out notice I have filled a position to all people who submitted resumes.

Wow! I really think that unfortunately, you're a minority there. For this summer, I have sent out approximately 30 resumes and heard back from 1 person.

I have to say that I find it very frustrating and discouraging. I email, fax and post my applications and about 14 days after, whenever possible, send an email to follow up, but this time around I got nothing in response.

I recognize that there are certainly different circumstances regarding every job out there, but 30 applications and 1 response really makes me question my own abilities.

I wish more people took just a moment for a simple "We thank you for your interest, but have already filled the position." I know it would make me a little less stressed.

And I honestly don't think it has anything to do with my letter. It's literate, well written and was proofed by the literary manager at the theatre I'm currently at. I've used it numerous times and to be honest, never not gotten a job that I wanted until now.

Frustrating.

[MatthewShiner]

Its very frustrating to send out 30 resumes and get 1 response, the only thing I can say in anyone's defense is that sometimes was a job posting, you can get 40-100 responses, it's sometimes hard to respond to everyone personally.  It's just the nature of the busiess.

[Mac Calder]

I have noticed that you often do not get responses in this day and age when you apply for jobs. Personally, I wonder how hard it would be to email a dear john letter out to everyone who applied and did not make first round, especially since a large number of places are now accepting emailed applications. That is my view anyway (and if I ever start a business, certainly the stand I will be taking).

[amylee]

i have applied for over 200 jobs since the begining of this calendar year - some in the theatre, some in education, some in business, some at museums and some that defy classification.

so far, i have received approximately 25 "thank you but no thank you" emails or letters.

of the jobs that i actually got as far as interviewing, sending requested documents, etc. (about 30 to date), I have received about 5 "thank you but no thank you" messages. The rest forced me to call and wait for messages to be returned and then call again and repeat the degrading process until I finally got a human who admitted that they'd filled the position weeks earlier.

It is EXTREMELY rude - you don't even need to spend the 40 cents for a stamp - just inconvenience a few electrons and send a blinking email!

grrrrrrrrr.

(by the way - i have a new teaching job for next year at a charter school where i will be starting up a brand new theatre program! woo-hoo!)

[loebtmc]

Much as we all would love a response to every interview, keep in mind that for most jobs (and esp in our industry), they only talk to you if you get to the next step and/or are offered the job. It happens on the actor side all the time. And those few seconds suggested to respond is only true if there are a handful of applicants. If even half the people on this list alone (not including the 1000s of SMs out there who aren't members) each sent out 200 resumes, think of the time they need to respond with upwards of 200 emails, which takes more than a few seconds whether you are typing in email address to a single letter or even if all you do is cut and paste as you go. Who has that kind of time to take away from their job? We all react as if we were the only ones being screened and as if they have nothing else to do.

PLUS who wants to be the one to say "sorry" - most folks are chickens and telling someone they weren't chosen is damn hard.

I know that the Welk in So Cal sends a group email to all the auditioners they call back, but they enter everyon'e email cuz they use it to bulk out their mailing lists which, well....suffice it to say that I get tired of being added to email and mailing lists.....

Point being, keep in mind their perspective - and the practicalities of these things.

[MarcieA]

Personally, I wonder how hard it would be to email a dear john letter out to everyone who applied and did not make first round, especially since a large number of places are now accepting emailed applications.

Just thought that I'd mention that ironically, after my little rant about not getting any responses that I got one today.

All it said was "Thank you for you interest, but we've offered the position to someone else."

Even though I didn't get the job, it atleast made me feel a little validated knowing that someone took the time to do that. (And I recognize that many people are too busy to do that, I'm just saying that it made a difference to me.)

[jspeaker]

I agree... you really cant wait for a response.  

If there was an interview and you havent heard there is nothing wrong with sending an email asking if any decisions have been made.  Most people in this business will understand that you need to know because there might be another job pending.  And its okay to tell them that you need to know because you have an offer on the table.

[MatthewShiner]

To back up Jess, I have no problem getting an e-mail follow-up from someone who applied.  I think it shows a strong interest in the position.

[prizm]

well a follow up on this conversation... I got a call from a theatre for a phone interview this week... I sent them an application about 2 or 3 months ago. And they informed we they wouldnt be making a decison untill June. So I guess the point is you never know but you cant wait for them.

[amylee]

i'm sorry - but i don't buy the "it's so hard to be the bearer of bad news" excuse.

how easy is this:

Dear Candidate:

Thank you for your interest in the X organization. This message is to let you know that we have filled that position and will keep your information on file for X amount of time. Best of luck to you.

Sincerely,

Interviewer

[MatthewShiner]

i'm sorry - but i don't buy the "it's so hard to be the bearer of bad news" excuse.

how easy is this:

Dear Candidate:

Thank you for your interest in the X organization. This message is to let you know that we have filled that position and will keep your information on file for X amount of time. Best of luck to you.

Sincerely,

Interviewer

Okay, now do that 200 times - there are times when notifying canidates is not an option, especially with unsolicited resumes.

[prizm]

I must agree, and as the person who started this thred that should be saying something. I have sent out several applications now myself and heard nothing from anybody who didnt want to hire me. But I was part of the stage management search at my current job and we ercived over 300 mailed applications, 100e-mailed and 30 faxed, each and everyone of them is still on file and will be till the day our PSM dies. And she started trying to figure out a way to send responses to everyone but our season started and that was the end of it. We had shows to work and a limited number of people working. If we had an HR person that could do that stuff we would have but the people in our HR will not go near anyone with AEA on their resume with a 10 foot pole.