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I'm currently searching for a new job. Over the past two weeks, I've had three seperate companies make first contact with me via email, asking me to have an initial talk/interview, and to let them know when I'm available. I've responded to all of them with a slight variation of the following:

Hi [name of contact],

Thank you for your email! I'd be pleased to chat with you further. I'm available for a chat anytime after [day/time] if that works for you, otherwise I should also be available on [alternate day] if you let me know what time suits.

Kind regards,

[my name]

All three of the companies have ghosted me after I've sent that email (a week or more no response). I'm worried it's coming across as rude and turning them off. Is the above email coming across as rude, and if so, how can I fix it?

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    Did you follow up with the responses? Anything could have happened in between. Maybe the person went on holiday, etc. Also, by "first contact" do you initiate communication first (e.g. by applying to an open position), and then they responded to your application?
    – Brandin
    Commented Nov 21, 2018 at 6:11
  • @Brandin yes, I applied to the company and then they sent me an email responding to my application
    – JuniorPerson
    Commented Nov 21, 2018 at 6:13
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    Did you leave a phone number? Some hiring processes prefer to do an initial phone screen. If it's not available it's possible they just dropped you for more important things. Or it's possible they just have other business. There's nothing specifically about the wording your response that is problematic; the reasons for lack of response are elsewhere. In general, you shouldn't assume that every application will carry on with a satisfying conclusion. Some will just fizzle out and die, while others may carry on to several interview stages, but you don't get an offer, etc..
    – Brandin
    Commented Nov 21, 2018 at 6:17
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    Also sometimes you just need to follow up after some time. E-mails that come in bursts during some periods can get buried in a larger pile and it is easy to overlook one. Remember that from your perspective, it may seem like the three companies you really want to interview with ignored you. But from their perspective your response is just one e-mail among several others. They could easily have unintentionally ignored it.
    – Brandin
    Commented Nov 21, 2018 at 6:24

2 Answers 2

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If anything, it is the companies who are coming across as rude.

You say that they are

asking me to have an initial talk/interview, and to let them know when I'm available

and that is exactly what you have done, so I don’t see how you can be concerned about rudeness.

Btw, have the time which you proposed already elapsed?

Is it possible that your times were very restrictive – e.g on Tuesday, between 9:15 1nd 10:15? If so, you might consider throwing in “or at any other time which is convenient to you, by prior arrangement” .. or “… if you can manage to give me a day’s notice”, and then be prepared to lose a ¼ day for a ‘phone interview.

Again, I see nothing wrong with what you are writing, and, as technical recruiter (as opposed to HR), if I had read your CV and thought enough of it to take the time to email you and request a chat, I would certainly always follow through on a response such as yours. The fact that they did not could mean almost anything – probably three different anythings (too busy, position filled, holiday/sick, but why bother guessing?) – and I would say that the ball is not in your court and a follow up after a week can do no harm. If I were busy and received a nudge from a candidate, I would want to chat to them before they found somewhere else. If I were totally overwhelmed, that reminder would cause me to arrange for a colleague to contact you.

Dear Mr Smith,

further to our email exchange last week, I was wondering if you still wished to have a chat.

yours etc,

J.P

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I wouldn't say you were rude, just.... less than engaging

Your email:

Hi [name of contact],

Thank you for your email! I'd be pleased to chat with you further. I'm available for a chat anytime after [day/time] if that works for you, otherwise I should also be available on [alternate day] if you let me know what time suits.

Kind regards,

[my name]

I would be more engaging and eager if you're really interested.

Hi [name of contact],

Thanks for reaching out to me. I am very interested in speaking to you about this opportunity.

If you have their phone numer...

As a follow up, I'll call you on Tuesday at 10. If this time is inconvenient, please let me know, and I'll reschedule.

(that's not giving them a chance to ghost you, and it demonstrates initiative)

If you don't have their number, try this...

Please give me a call on Tuesday at 10, if this isn't convenient, please let me know so that we can arrange another time. As a follow up, I'll send a follow up email at 8 am on Tuesday morning to confirm.

(again, this shows initiative)

Kindest regards [your name]

If you're still getting ghosted after that, just chalk it up to incompetent recruiters and move on. It's them, not you.

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