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How many (follow-up or cold) calls is too many?

I'm job hunting. After submitting my resume to a company in response to an ad, I do a follow-up call a week or two afterward. How many times should I follow up via calling or e-mail? I'm getting tired of this. I don't enjoy this and I may be getting on the person's nerves. Same question about cold calling. I've done it recently to get some freelance work. I targeted some places and called each one once a week for about 4 weeks. I got some no's (where I reached the target person), one maybe (but the guy gave me the creeps so I deleted him off the list), and some nonresponses. I've alternated between e-mails and phone calls. Usually I have to leave a message. Do I continue calling the people who have not responded? I feel like I'm hassling them. Obviously, cold calling is new to me, and I don't like it, but if that's what you have to do, then okay, I'll do it. When do you stop calling? People can respond to my e-mails, thereby avoiding a call from me. But they don't. What do I do?

Public Comments

1. Be relentless with the job hunt. Calling too much in never enough. I once hired someone that called me twice a day because I figured if he was diligent enough to call me twice a day at the same exact times every day then he must REALLY want this job- he was an excellent employee by the way. I wouldnt cold call anyone more that six times if you already have spoke to them and you are getting no response, as well as if you are leaving them messages. Good luck on your job hunt!
2. It depends what it is that you do - if it's something that there may be a need today but not tomorrow, then calling every two weeks isn't too bad. However, I wouldn't leave messages - that's the kiss of death.
3. I wouldn't stop calling until I get a refusal letter or "this position has been filled" response when I called asking about the job I sent the resume on. For all you know, the person they hire won't work out and they will remember your calls over and over again! :-) If you cold call for contracting work, you have to keep at it until you get a definitive no or feel the lead is dead...persistence gets the job...not a wallflower!
4. Idiot's Guide to Cold Calling is a great book for beginners, if you want to get better at it. http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Idiots-Guide-Cold-Calling/dp/1592572278/sr=1-1/qid=1159493329/ref=sr_1_1/102-2868336-0082541?ie=UTF8&s=books One of the best way to make your call more effective is to communicate that you feel their "pain" and you are able to help them. So might be worth while to research recently news about the company before picking up the phone. Best of luck.