Communication

  • Place call during regular business hours
  • Be prepared before you dial
  • Be ready to leave an appropriate message (including your name, phone number) with the receptionist or on the answering machine
  • When leaving a message speak slowly, clearly, concisely and give phone number twice. B e sure to identify yourself by leaving your first and last name. Leave your phone number slowly as people have a tendency to rush through their digits. It’s also a good idea to repeat your number again at the end of the message.
  • Answer messages within 24 hours, sooner the better
  • When answering calls, pick up by the third or fourth ring. Don’t use ‘call display’ to screen calls.
  • Identify yourself immediately
  • Minimize background noise
  • Always smile
  • End with a positive statement and acknowledgement of the caller
  • Use ‘hold’ only for a few seconds
  • Keep your personal taped message brief, professional, and specific
  • Don’t use voicemail as a screening device
  • Avoid personal calls at work
  • Limit use to important calls when you are with others
  • Be mindful of others in public places (eg. at a presentation). Turn your cell phone off
  • If you are expecting an emergency/unavoidable call and need your cell phone/pager turned on, let the recruiter know in advance
  • If you are expecting an important call, set your phone to ‘vibrate’, if available, and leave the room to take the call
  • Don’t ask to use another person’s cell phone
  • Consider the privacy of the call when taking it in public
  • You must have an answering machine during the recruiting season, with a professional message on it.
  • Avoid loud music with an inappropriate message.
  • Take your time and don’t rush in writing emails, treat it like a formal letter to maintain professionalism
  • Use proper English, spelling, and grammar (triple check your message before sending)
  • Smiley faces and other emoticons are inappropriate in initial communication.
  • Be aware of and respect people’s time. Keep messages simple, clear and brief
  • Don’t depend on highlighting techniques for emphasis as these are not always available to your recipient
  • Always include a subject line to make it easy for recipients to determine priority of the message
  • Be wary of automatic reply – your response may end up going to a whole listserve group rather than the one person with whom you wanted to communicate
  • Include an appropriate amount of the original message in your reply (not too much, but enough for the recipient to recall the original idea)
  • Avoid chain letters, jokes, and other personal emails (employers usually monitor these)
  • Always have a clear and concise subject line. They may delete the message if there’s no subject line (especially with the amount of spam they receive).
  • Explain any attachments to prevent employers from thinking that it may be viruses.
  • It is always a good idea to sign your full name.
  • Make sure you include your contact info, date, and the total number of pages that you fax
  • Check the transmission record to ensure the company received the fax