Recruiter seems to have forgotten me?

Question

I applied for multiple positions at a company recently, and their one of the talent acquisition guys reached back to me regarding one. We had a phone call (~30 minutes) regarding my work experience and relevance to the position I applied for. After the conversation, he told he would let me know if they decide to move forward with me.

Today, I heard from him again but about a new position rather than about my previous application. However, in this e-mail he sent me, it seems he has forgotten that we have already communicated (since the whole e-mail body is EXACTLY the same, word-to-word with the only difference being the name of position). I am in a dilemma now, since I don't even if it's valid to interview for different positions at the same company, simultaneously.

Should I tell him that we have already talked before (maybe even ask for the status of my previous application? Though this says I shouldn't)?

Or should I behave like nothing happened and do as I would have done normally.

Please note that we have not met face-to-face and only had a telephonic conversation.

Answer 1

Recruiters spend most of their workday reaching out to people about different positions, so don't be alarmed if they don't remember every name of every person they talk to.

Regarding the multiple positions, if you're interested in both then apply for both. When you talk with the recruiter again just mention you talked with them earlier. That's a great opportunity to follow-up on that position as well, and get your name out there again.

Also, don't worry about interviewing for multiple positions within the same company. If you get interviews for both positions, it could do nothing but help you. I've interviewed for multiple positions in every company I've interviewed with, and the only affect it's had is forcing each manager to get through the recruitment process quicker so they don't lose me to another team. It also helps them know that you're interested in working for the company, not just finding a job.

Answer 2

I don't really know how the hiring process works in Japan, so I will just tell you what I would have done in this case (France).

Generally, the first emails we receive after applying, even the positive ones, are automatic or a copy/paste (this probably explains why you got 2 mails that look the same about 2 different positions that you applied for). They tell you that they are really interested in your profile and would like to set a date and time to make you a first phone call.

In my case, I would not respond to the second mail, I'll just wait (a week) for them to tell me the decision they made about the first position.

If they still didn't call after a week, I'd call them to check the status of the first position and also tell them about the second mail that I received (and the fact that I applied for multiple positions because I'm really interested in working with them).

Of course, I still remind you that this is what I would have done in France, where calling a week after a phone interview to "remind them that you exist" is completely appropriate and sometimes encouraged (it shows that you are interested).

Answer 3

Yes, of course. If you have time to talk to this recruiter at all, tell him you spoke before and you're still very interested in working for his company. Any human connection you can make will help you stand out and get the interview.

Human relationships are important, and worth your effort.