how long do you wait for a response?

[amylee]

fine - don't send individual responses.

but if you have a website - you can post ONE announcement that the position is filled.

I've often used the website method, or mass-email for audition follow-ups. The last email that involved more than 100 addresses took about 20-30 minutes to put together. The website announcement takes about 2 minutes.

I'm also a subscriber to several lists that disseminate information very quickly to large groups of people, and it wouldn't take much to create one that sent out employment updates - folks could subscribe or unsubscribe themselves according to their interest and announcements would only be written ONCE.

There are solutions - and saying "oh well, that's just the way it is" is a pretty lousy one.

[Joshua S.]

Yes, sending out emails to let people know that they will not be hired is extremely time consuming, but I highly belive that if there is an intern or someone in the coorporation that can do it, then they should.

A website would be a great way to post this information, especially it this is also where you advertise job openings.

The most important point I want to make though is that if someone emails you to inquire if the positions are still open, it is only common curtesy to reply.  I was put into a situation of this nature just recently when applying for summer reperatory positions.  Theatre A called and offered me a position, but Theatre B was really where I wanted to go.  I emailed the executive director of Theatre B to see if they had done their hiring for the positions I was applying to.  Having not recieved a response and quickly approaching the deadline for a decision that Theatre A gave me, I called the executive director of Theatre B and his response was something along the lines of  "I did recieve your email but I didn't respond because our positions had already been filled."

[Kimberly]

Scoot, you are sooooooo wise & full of logic! Thanks for helping us all keep our heads on straight and in tune with reality in this biz! I appreciate the reality check!  :wink:

[BalletPSM]

I have to send out "thanks but we can't offer you a contract" letters to ALL the dance auditionees every year.  And our art. directors have to sign them ALL.  by hand.  no inserting of their scanned signatures.  this season I sent out about 200 letters.  

I feel that if someone is not getting a job but took the time to put together a nice audition package, or in the case of dancers, perhaps purchased a plane ticket to come audition for our company, the least we can do is send them an actual signed letter telling them we can't offer them a contract but they are welcome to audition for the following season.

It's not that bad -- was about a day's work for me total (spread out over a few days).  I enter all the auditionees addresses into an excel doc, with each field separate (Column A:  title  B:  first name C: last name etc.).  Then I go to word and type the form letter in, and set up a mail merge.  I also set up a mail merge for labels.  Hit print, and go do something else while they print.

Put them in the AD's boxes to sign.

When I get them back, I take them all home, and sit in front of the TV to fold, seal, stamp, and label.

Now, with the dancers it's a little bit different -- they're looking for a season contract and we tell them when they audition that we will be making decisions by X date, so they know they won't hear anything from us, yes or no, until after that date.

Good luck.  Waiting is always the hardest part.

[ljh007]

I've been on both sides of this - an applicant and a hirer.

Anymore, when I apply for a position, I just don't expect to hear back. I know that I'll have to be present & persistent if I really want the job. Getting a prompt response is a welcome surprise. (Yes, I am sad that I have accepted these lowered expectations...)

As a hirer, I wrote short, lovely letters to every applicant who replied to a position posting. I tried to mention something at least a little specific in each response so they know I reviewed their materials and gave them honest consideration. It did take a long time. However, when people sent resumes at random, I really tried my best to at least write the one-line email "Thank you but we are not seeking applicants for that position right now." But sometimes (like around graduation time!) you just get bombarded with scores of unsolicited resumes, and it's extremely hard to respond to everyone. Sometimes people apply for a position that doesn't even exist (or might not be appropriate) - like applying to be a stitcher with a company that uses the local IATSE wardrobe, or applying to be a SM with a company that has a happily employed resident SM. When people applied in this way, they usually wouldn't get a response from me.

Do your research, learn whether the company is even hiring. I recommend calling first, just to ask if they're searching and asking if you can send in your resume for their reference. If a resume was particularly impressive, I might even forward it on to someone searching to fill a position, or I might call the applicant to encourage them to seek employment in more promising avenues. Nonetheless, I ALWAYS kept every resume I received on file.

[Balletdork]

In defense of those of us hiring and not job-searching... I rarely reply to any resume unless I am truely interested in hiring that person. I will not waste my time or yours in an interview which I do not believe will fill the position.

Ex; If I'm hiring an ASM for dance and I get 50 resume's- 10 of which come from people with experience in dance, and the other 40 have no experience in dance... I do not reply to the other 40. Which is not to say I wouldn't give you feedback if you called or emailed me- But I won't seek you out unless I feel strongly that you will fit my position.

This year I was looking for an ASM for my ballet company for 27 weeks of work. I had 58 responses. I interviewed the 3 people I felt would best fit the position based on their resume & cover letter. The other 55 didn't hear a peep. (If this is you- i hope this explains WHY.)

I'm betting most people do the same... not to discourage young stage managers, but rather to keep ourselves from going crazy writing rejection letters!

On the other hand I do send out letters to all the auditioning dancers (this year just over 200)- but these people all attended an audition or class and spent the $300+ to fly to BHM, stay in a hotel, made an audition DVD or Video and full-out auditioned.

I don't know- I suppose SM's get the unfair end of the stick!

[04sdwall]

I also had an interesting experience with this.  I have no idea why this happened but I must have sent on a dull day but I went website hunting and would send cover letters and resumes to any email address of a producer I could find for internships and asm jobs.  I got back letters from producers (even large equity theatres that basically wished me luck but that I should try other smaller theaters) and I have no idea why they even took the time.  Then I did the same thing with another set of theaters but never heard back and was devastated.  However, it was a growing experience.  I even got a non-equity asm job at an equity theatre through unsolicited emails so if you are willing to face the lack of response sometimes you get lucky.  Considering all the young stage managers out there who don't really have a clue what they are doing when they are sending out their first resumes I don't play the hirers for not responding though it really does make your day when they respond and are more likely to send out resumes to them in the future.   

[MatthewShiner]

(Again from the other side of the desk)

I posted a job listing about a month ago.

I just now finished responding to all of the resume submissions.

Nothing to do with the quality of the people submitting, just having to do with what little time I had to deal with it.

My advice:  To those submitting resumes, never expected a response, be delighted if you get one.

[jmc]

This may help or not, but it work for me, many years ago.
Rather than send resumes to prospective hirers, I just sent an adressed envelope with a return stamped adressed postcard inside.
The postcard with my adress on one side, I had listed my qualifications, skills, atributes & details on the other side.
Along with provision for the hirer to tick various boxes & to add apiontment, contact details &/or a not interested/hiring box as well!
All the hirer has to do is tick the boxes or add details, then pop it in the out tray [or the bin!)
The last time I did this I only sent about 7 & recieved 5 back. 2 with appiontments, 1 requesting a resume & 2 knock backs.
However I recieved 4 other calls from Theatre companies, that I never canvassed in the first place, but who were advised of my details by one of the hirers.
I ended up working for 2 of the callers & 1 canvassed hirers.
I was working with 7 days of mailing them & it only cost 14 postage stamps, besides the outlay for envelopes & printing of t50 postcards, which I used up some years latter.
The reason for the small number is, we are but a pimple on the backside of the theatre world here. But in a larger market I think the percentage of returns would be much the same & replies just as fast! 

   

[elliebelle]

I've lately been applying to places I've seen searching for SM's on Playbill.com, BackstageJobs, etc, since I'm looking to get out of my area for a while. My experience has been that, in general, I don't get a reply to the initial letter or e-mail (which is understandable, since I'm sure they're all receiving so many), but the follow-ups I send out a couple weeks later have mostly gotten responses. I think that's a pretty good way to do it.

[elliebelle]

I'll tell you what's VERY not cool: when someone actually schedules an interview with you for a specific time, and then never calls or even e-mails. This happened to me a few days ago, and I'm still pretty livid. Even called them and left a message; dude still never called back. How rude.

[angelofmusic1781]

Personaly, I never expect to hear back unless I am either being interviewed again or getting an offer.  If I do get a responce back saying "no thanks" thats nice and all, but I try to put myself in their shoes and in their bussy schedule.  They may not have time to reply to every person, and I get that.  However, I also will continue to seek employment until I hear something.  There are often only 1 or 2 people hiring and sometimes hundreds of applicants - sometimes it just doesn't pay to spend the time sending rejections to everyone.  I know it may not seem right or fair or as many have said rude, but it just the nature of our work.  I know how hard it is to have to be always going after the next job, but I find if you just breath and keep moving forward something will come.   Anyway, thats my thought.

[Meg_23_c2o]

Usually I'll send my resume, wait a week or so, and send a follow up email inquiring as to whether or not they received my application.  Most of the time, I do get an email back stating that my application was received and they'll contact me if needed.  Beyond that, I don't generally expect a response, and I don't think it should be taken personally when I don't get one.  I would hate to be the person trying to respond to hundreds of people, and I don't think it's worth employing someone particularly for that job just to make me feel validated.  We've all worked at busy theatres, and we know how crazy things get.  If I haven't heard back and that's the worst problem I'm facing, I'm going to be ok.

[ScooterSM]

I would say if you had an interview, you should email, politely asking if they have made a decision.  When I interview people, I feel like it is my obligation to at least let them know one way or the other.  IMO this is different than just a resume submission.  Good luck!
SSM

[ljh007]

I would definitely contact them - but never by cell - and be sure to let them know that you will have to cancel other travel plans, make living arrangements, etc, as soon as possible. If it is clear that you are thinking of future plans and not just being pushy, they should respect this and get you a quick answer. Good luck CBT!