What Message Are You Sending to Prospective Employers?

By Mary G. White

A great deal of job interview and career advice focuses on preparing a well-written resume, dressing for success, and the do’s and don’ts of job interview questions.  However, it is also very important to pay attention to other factors that might impact whether or not prospective employers are likely to view you as a good job candidate.

One of the most important, and most often overlooked, aspects of preparing for a job search is actually related to your telephone.  Most home and cell phones have voicemail these days.  The pre-recorded greeting on your voicemail sends a message to prospective employers who might call you to set up an interview.  When you are in the process of searching for a job, it is critical that you make certain that your voice mail message is professional.

However, people sometimes forget to pay attention to the little detail of how their voicemail message sounds when they start filling out job applications.  Employers will definitely pay attention, though.  If your voicemail message sounds unprofessional, they will just hang up without leaving a message, and you’ll never get a chance to interview with them

Voicemail Don’ts:

• Messages recorded by small children
• Musical greetings
• Religious messages
• Whassup?
• Sarcastic comments
• Mumbled greetings
• Any form of profanity

Voicemail Do

A professional voice mail message is a simple greeting, such as “This is Mary, I’m not available to take your call right now.  Please leave your name, number, and a detailed message and I will return your call as soon as possible.” 

There should be no music in the background or other noise.  Your voice should come across as pleasant and polite.  When a job interviewer gets this type of message, he or she is very likely to leave a request for a return call to schedule an interview with you.

About the Author:

Mary Gormandy White is a career and training expert who specializes in customer service, management, communication, and career development training at Mobile Technical Institute http://www.mobiletechwebsite.com.  She also works with MTI Business Solutions, providing corporate training, public speaking, marketing, writing, and SEO consulting services to a wide variety of clients in the Mobile, AL area and nationwide.  Stop by http://www.dailycareerconnection.com regularly for useful professional development tips. 

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