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Friends Inconsiderate Actions Assertiveness Finding a Job

A couple of years ago, I helped a friend get a job. He has done well and was just promoted again. I was recently laid off, and I contacted him to see if he could help me. When he didn't return my call after a week, I called him back, and he still did not call me. Should I try again?



You may think of this person as a friend, but it does not sound like he considers you to be one. Friends don't let friends sit around and wait for a call-back.

In the past, when a person received a phone call, he or she would typically return it, especially if it came from a friend. Now the rules of the telephone game seem to state that when a person gets a phone call, he or she returns it only if the call came from someone who either has more power or has something that the person receiving the call wants. This development is a serious source of communication problems, frustration, disappointment, and stress.

You have nothing to lose by calling this "friend" again. Perhaps he was on a vacation in a place that has no communication linkage with the rest of the world. Of course, it must have been quite difficult for him to get reservations on Halley's comet.

Try calling your friend at home and at work early in the morning or in the evening. If you leave a message, phrase it in a way that entices him to call you back. In the meantime, focus on those individuals in your network who can actually help you net your next job.



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