Posted by: Darlene Duncan CWDP, JSS, CCC, JCTC, JCDC
Training Coordinator
What do people hear when they call you and get either your answering machine or your voice mail?
You may think that your two year old telling people Mommy or Daddy can’t come to the phone right now is cute. However, a potential employer may not agree.
Perhaps you have the television blaring in the background while you record the message callers hear or maybe you intentionally played your favorite song as part of that message. Neither of those is going to help you get a job.
We all like to demonstrate our individuality and some choose to do that through their answering machine/voice mail message. However, during your job search is not the time to be a non-conformist.
When job searching, how employers perceive you is of vital importance to you. You want them to view you as a responsible adult capable of excelling in the position for which you’re applying. Toward that goal your answering machine/voice mail message needs to be short and businesslike.
Something like this, “You have reached 999-999-9999. Please, leave a brief message including your phone number after the beep and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you.”
Training Coordinator
What do people hear when they call you and get either your answering machine or your voice mail?
You may think that your two year old telling people Mommy or Daddy can’t come to the phone right now is cute. However, a potential employer may not agree.
Perhaps you have the television blaring in the background while you record the message callers hear or maybe you intentionally played your favorite song as part of that message. Neither of those is going to help you get a job.
We all like to demonstrate our individuality and some choose to do that through their answering machine/voice mail message. However, during your job search is not the time to be a non-conformist.
When job searching, how employers perceive you is of vital importance to you. You want them to view you as a responsible adult capable of excelling in the position for which you’re applying. Toward that goal your answering machine/voice mail message needs to be short and businesslike.
Something like this, “You have reached 999-999-9999. Please, leave a brief message including your phone number after the beep and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you.”
