"You'll hear back from us in a couple of weeks"

[rageaholic]

Is this code for "you didn't get the job" or is there some truth to this?

In my experience, I never hear back from them, but that's all I've ever heard. I've heard of people who got the job right after the interview and automatically knew they were hired. On the other hand, there could be bureaucratic justifications I'm unaware of for the wait. Plus it wouldn't make sense to tell me how long I should wait if they weren't at least considering it.

[Pedersen]

It usually means the same as "Don't call us, we'll call you", which is the same as "The check is in the mail" and "Of course I'll respect you in the morning".

Not that it doesn't happen, but don't bet on it. On rare occasions, they really will call back in a couple of weeks. Sometimes, they have to cut through red tape in the office to make it happen. Sometimes they have to fire someone to bring you on board. Sometimes they have to wait until the next quarter so they have the budget.

Usually, though? It means "Thanks, but no thanks. Good luck elsewhere."

[Raveni]

Unless they are doing an extensive background check (using one of those cheap, but slow services)... You didn't get the job.

At Grocery Store, I would get background checks back in about a week usually. They would at least send a letter if you failed.

The people who didn't get that far in the process were supposed to get a postcard, but they wouldn't reimburse us for postage, so we never sent them...

[Marmalady]

Depending on the job you've applied for, it could take longer.... Back when my ex applied to join Huge Security Company (I'm talking over 20 years ago) he went for interview on July 1st and got the letter offering him a job on July 31st. They ran very, very extensive checks back then (don't know if they still do) and had spent that time checking out not only him, his background and his family but also mine as well.
We also had a home check by a senior HR person and I had a Regional Manager come have a chat with me on my own.

[Andara Bledin]

It depends on the company and the job.

If they have a large enough job pool, it may take that long just to weed through all of the applicants.

More often than not, however, you won't hear back. The last time I was job hunting, I'd call them back at 2 weeks and 1 day to ask about the status and then try again about 3 days later if I didn't get a real answer. After that, I'd consider it closed.

^-.-^

[Android Kaeli]

With the few jobs that I've had, all of them I've gotten right after an interview. When I was working for <Mall Department Store> a few years back, I put in my application and was told to wait for the recruting manager. He came down and quite litterally told me when to expect my training.

So if you don't hear from them within a week to week and a half, you most likely didn't get the job.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Some places screen their applicants so severe and take so long to do it you could almost forget you applied. It's happened to me a couple times, and both times I'm thinking about, I ended up getting the job.

[trailerparkmedic]

I'm applying for positions with companies that are hiring up to 50 people from a pool of 500-ish applicants. It's taking minimum of two weeks for them to get back to me at any point in the process.

Now, if it was a normal company with just a few positions available, I'd say 2 weeks is a blow off thing, but I would still follow up in 2 weeks.

[tropicsgoddess]

It's iffy and it depends on some places. With work at home jobs, they take a LONG time since they tend to get a very high volume of applicants and interviews. Besides that you also have some traditional companies that have rigorous application and/or interview processes too. I always ask how long to expect an answer back after the interview. That way I can give the company time to get their ducks in a row and to tell me if it's a yes or no. If I don't hear back from x time they told me, I call or email them myself. It's a catch 22 on how to ask and not come off as being pushy versus coming off as not having some initiative.

[Jay 2K Winger]

It can depend on the job, it's true. If it's some basic retail/front-line job, it's a "good luck with your future endeavors, because they aren't going to be here" kind of line.

My current job, on contract with The Client, it was a couple of months before I got word that they were going to offer me the job. And even then, it was several more months before I actually started it, because I had to pass the background check.

Don't despair too much, you'll find a job, and with any luck, it will be a good one.

[rageaholic]

It can depend on the job, it's true. If it's some basic retail/front-line job, it's a "good luck with your future endeavors, because they aren't going to be here" kind of line.

It was for a well known big box retail store, so chances are they meant "no way jose".

Damn it.

[Teysa]

I'm not sure what part of the country you live in, but have you tried getting a job at an amusement park? I know Six Flags has several locations and they specialize in hiring people with no experience. If nothing else it would give you something to put on your resume.

There are worse places you could go to for a first job. You'll learn things that will help you no matter where you go later in life. It also happens to be a very fun place to work.

[rageaholic]

Well, I am a couple hours away from a major amusement park. I never thought about it, but it sounds like a possibility for next summer if I have no luck closer to home.

[Victoria J]

I wish people would just be straightforward.

Chances are if you haven't heard fairly quickly (and it isn't something particularly complicated or requiring vetting) you didn't get it. But you don't KNOW that. Maybe it really does take a couple of weeks, maybe they need someone to sign off on hiring who isn't there, or they are waiting to compare to another round of interviews, or they are waiting to see how many people they retained after the last lot of training or...

I'd rather know.

No one ever wants to tell you that you haven't got a job. I think once you have attended an actual interview they owe you that.

I'm used to waiting maybe 2 to 5 days for a decision, but what they tend to do is say they'll be letting people know on X day, and let the successful people know then and the not successful people know a day or so later so you already know you didn't get it. And they'll stick to emailing when you don't get it.

This week I had an interview which is my best chance in ages and they're making me wait nearly 3 weeks which seems inhuman. That's because of specific issues (they are waiting to see how much money they have and how many people they can give jobs to basically). If they told me no I'd be sad, but at least I'd know and not have all the time of hoping.

Hope is cruel sometimes. (And unemployment always is).

Good luck with your job search.

Victoria J.

[Moirae]

I think it depends on the sentence that prefaces it. If they ask "when can you start" right before they tell you a couple of weeks, then they are interested and will actually let you know. If they say anything else, then say they will call you back in a couple weeks, it normally means "I don't like you, so you won't be hired".