|
|
|
Job Seeking -
Phone techniques |
The telephone
is a vital tool in your job search program. When building and using
your contacts you will spend a lot of time on the telephone.
When using the telephone:
 |
|
- Know why you are making the call
- Write down your objective and the points you wish to cover
- Practice what you are going to say
- Have relevant letters, advertisements, etc, in front of you
- Be prepared to take notes
- A first call should be to the main switchboard as this will
provide a research opportunity to obtain direct phone line
numbers, correct titles and Personal Assistants’ names
- Be prepared to gain the person’s attention
- Keep your objective in mind and finish the call when it is
achieved
- Have a strong closing statement that moves to the next step
|
|
It is very important to have:
- A positive attitude towards using the telephone - have warmth or a smile in your voice
- A pleasant, friendly, unhurried voice
- The ability to use clear and understandable language
- A sense of commitment
- Effective listening skills
- A sense of humour - have a smile on your face as you talk
- Confidence - try standing up to talk on the phone
|
 |
Critical Preparation
Have three key reasons why you would fit the job written out and clear in your mind
Have the job advertisement in front of you and the name of the employment contact and any critical information highlighted
Have a list of questions that you want to know about, including any questions about hours, location, approximate salary and any other information which might influence your application
Practice what you want to say before calling, then make the call - you want to appear "switched on", not vague
Have your own CV in front of you, so that you can refer to any relevant experience clearly
|
An Example of Writing Down What You Want To Say
Hello, my name is _______, and I was wondering if you could help me? I am very interested in the position of ________ as you have advertised in Seek / My Career / the newspaper and I was wondering if you could answer a couple of questions about the role if that's ok?
Where abouts is the role based?
I have many of the skills that you ask for, such as my competence in MS Office and Outlook, my ability to work well in a team and my strong attention to detail, however I haven't specifically worked in a similar role previously. Would you still be willing to consider me for the role?
The role says it requires flexible hours - what are the the typical hours most weeks?
The ad made the role look really interesting - can I ask what would you consider to be the 3 most important factors that you are looking for in a candidate for this role?
(At the end) Thank you so much for your help _____ (use their name), I'll send through my résumé later today. Once you've had a look at my résumé I'd love to meet with you for an interview if you really do think I have some of the attributes you're looking for. Thanks again for your time!
|
|
◄◄ Last Activity |
Return to Activity Centre |
Next Activity ►► |
|
