Telephone Etiquette

Telephone Etiquette During Your Job Search

Any introduction to an employer is important, whether face to face or by telephone. A few important things to remember regarding telephone etiquette follow.

Have a professional message on your home phone, cell phone and answering machine. Train anyone who might answer the phone for you (think roommates, kids. . .) to answer the phone politely, take a message and deliver the message to you immediately.

Be prepared to receive a call from an employer anytime you pick up a call. If you are in a noisy environment, or any situation that could compromise the quality of your conversation (for instance, you just woke up) let calls go to your voice mail. . .where the caller will hear that professional message we talked about earlier.

Return all phone calls promptly, or at least within 24 hours. If you don’t the prospective employer will assume you are no longer interested.

Good luck. Get a Job!