STEP 5

Contacting potential employers. Be sure to be prepared BEFORE you contact a potential employer, thinking through how you will present yourself whether if be through personal contact, emails or letters and resumes.

E-mail Etiquette

•  Write your note as if it were a formal letter

•  Spell correctly.

•  Do not use abbreviations (You not U)

•  Use correct grammar

•  Use proper vocabulary

•  Do not use colored lettering

•  Do not use slang, swearing or street language

•  Do not use fancy font's (the best font's include Times New Roman, Courier New and Arial)

•  Do not use music in the background or differently covered background

•  Do not text-message

•  Do not use any pictures or symbols

•  Do not address people by their first name, unless that is all that has been provided to you by an ad (Mr./ Mrs./Ms. X)

Phone Calls/Personal visits ***Before you call or visit, be sure that you know the days and times you are available for an interview and how you will get there. Be sure to know the days and times you can work.

Calling an Employer you know has a job available (a hot contact)
Calling an Employer to see if there is a job available (a cold contact)

1. Hello, my name is _________________
(be sure to use your full name)

1. Hello, my name is _________________
(be sure to use your full name)

2. May I please speak with Mr./Mrs. Ms. ____________
2a) Reintroduce yourself, if needed

2. May I please speak with the person in charge of hiring?
2a) Reintroduce yourself, if needed.

3. I'm calling (here) about the (put the job title here) (Then explain how you heard about it)

3. I'm calling (here) to find out if ( put the job title here) position available. .

4. I was wondering if I could schedule an appointment for an interview.

4. (If they say yes) I was wondering if I could schedule an appointment for an interview.

(If they say no) Thank you for letting me know. Would you mind
if I filled out an application for the future?

* If you need directions, ask politely and write them down.
Go dressed for an interview and bring along all the information that you will need. Also, an employer may need to call you back if interested in hiring you, or if further information is needed.

So…what they hear on your cell phone, voice mail or answering machine is important.

•  Use your own voice, but be professional

•  Make sure that there is no background noise or music – you never know how it may be interpreted

•  Use proper language – no swearing or slang, no street language or sexually explicit language

•  Do not have multiple voices or children's voices on the message

•  Never text message back to an employer

RIGHT

WRONG

Hello, you have reached (your name and/or Number). Please leave a message and I will gladly return your call. Thank you.

Yo! What's up! You know what to do.

OR

Obviously, I'm not picking up.Leave a message and maybe I'll call back.