• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Keppie Careers

Social media speaker, social media consultant, job search coach

  • About
    • Expert Job Search and Social Media Consultant / Speaker
  • Services
    • For Job Seekers
    • For Entrepreneurs
    • Social Media Coaching and Consulting
    • Speaking/Keynotes
  • Resources
    • Sample Resumes
    • Blogroll
    • Quoted In
  • Books
  • Blog
  • Contact

Outgoing Answering Messages, the Phone and Your Job Hunt

April 3, 2008 By Miriam Salpeter

toy-phone.jpg
Photo by The GC Four

It’s not rocket science – potential employers and everyone else will judge you based on anything you offer them. 

  • A typo on your resume?  You’re careless. 
  • Unkempt appearance?  You’re a slob. 
  • Unprofessional phone greeting?  You’re unprofessional!

Since no one wants to hire someone who is unprofessional, take the time to make this very easy check of your outgoing phone greeting.

  • Does it contain music?
  • Are there childrens’ voices?
  • Is there background noise?
  • Does it make an effort at humor?  Is it “cute?”
  • Is it political? Religious?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, stop everything you are doing – change it now!

Record a basic, easy to hear greeting:  “Hello, you have reached April Showers.  Please leave a message and I will return your call.  Thank you.”

Listen to the greeting.  Is it garbled?  Did you rush it, as if you were escaping a fire but wanted to record the message first?  Re-do it!  Ask your hard-of-hearing neighbor to call and listen.  Does he understand what you said?  If so, you are golden!

Now, don’t get me started on kids, family members or roomates who answer the phone and don’t relay messages.  Or who tell the caller that you’re stuck under the car trying to rescue the cat.  Or in the bathroom, and you won’t be out for a LONG time. 

Try to give out a number on your resume that only you or a trusted adult will answer. Usually, that is a mobile number. Many of us answer our phones whenever they ring – even when we are driving or in the middle of a mob of screaming baseball fans.  If you are job hunting, be aware that trying to scream, “I can’t HEAR you” or cursing the driver who just cut you off as you are picking up your phone does not offer the impression you want to give your prospective employer.

Once your resume is out there, be aware that any time the phone rings, it might be your dream job on the line.  If you’re in a bad or loud spot – let it go to voice mail (to your nice, clear, professional greeting), listen to the message and call back as soon as possible.  You (and the caller) will be glad you did.

Need help with your job hunt?  Resume needs updating?  Don’t know where to start?  Keppie Careers will coach you every step of the way:  www.keppiecareers.com.

Related Posts:

  • Can a video resume help you get a job? Some say yes
  • Revisiting LinkedIn – new features for job seekers and networkers
  • Prepare your references for job search success
  • Use SlideShare to demonstrate your expertise – and a free resource
  • Making lemonade out of a layoff

Filed Under: Career Advice Tagged With: job hunt, job search, outgoing phone greeting, professional phone message, telephone answering

Follow Us!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Advice to Grow Your Business

Click here to read more about growing your business.

Follow Us!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Be an Insider: Sign Up to Receive Special Offers & Free Gift






About Keppie Careers

Are you a job seeker or business owner? You’ve come to the right place!
Click here to find out more.

Contact Us

Have a question or comment?
Click here to Contact Us.
© Copyright 2022 Keppie Careers