[BizCareers] Interview follow-ups and working in PR

Eager beaver, good or bad?

Went to an interview last month on 22 August, during the interview it was my turn to ask questions, which I did and the last one from me was, "When can I expect to hear from you about the outcome?" The reply thereof was as soon as possible. Am I too anxious or will it be in order if I called or sent an email to enquire of the outcome? And when is "as soon as possible"? Should one wait to the 21-day rule or take an initiative? - Tumie

Hi Tumie,

Thank you very much for your great question.

It's been over two weeks, so yes, you can definitely follow up. It shows initiative and that you're interested, and I always advise my candidates to follow up. Companies often get caught up and forget unintentionally to get back to you, so just remind them in a friendly manner that you're around and looking forward to hearing from them.

Good luck and I hope you get the job!

PR problems

For a while now I have been looking to get into public relations as a junior PR assistant. I have gained some experience in the above field years ago, then ventured into retail. I would like to know what advice you can offer as to how to go about getting employment in that field. Having said that, I am willing to begin from the bottom and work my way to the top, and I know that at the moment my age is against me as I am in my mid 30s, and I live in Durban where the job prospects are limited as opposed to Jhb.

Any help will be most appreciated. - C

Hi there,

Thank you for your question.

Well done on deciding where you want to take your career, there's nothing more liberating than making that decision. Unfortunately, as you said, you may need to start at the bottom, but as in anything with hard work and determination you should be where you want to be in no time at all.

The best would be to find as many PR agencies in the Durban area as possible and apply to all of them for an internship post. Most of them would be open to this and, as good PR staff are few and far between, hopefully will snap you up. Your age and experience definitely counts in your favour as you know that hard work is required and are probably more realistic about the working world. Most companies would be more than happy to acquire talent with maturity and drive.

Remember to always love what you do!
Juliette

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