Common Courtesy - "The Voicemail"

We can’t always answer our phones and it brings up two very important points regarding professionalism.

1. What does your voicemail say about you?
2. What kind of voicemail messages are you leaving?

1.
Technology and cell phone services are taking cell phone calls to a new level with ‘ring-back tones’ and music, so it’s important to remember the audience that you’ll be receiving calls from. When you are nearing graduation, you will more than likely be receiving calls from Hiring Managers, HR Specialists and other potential hirers so it is absolutely important that your voicemail is professional.
Make sure you have a professional ring when they call. This means no offensive language in songs and nothing that could make them have a doubt about you from a simple phone call. Remember, a key part to jobs searching is to AVOID showing a red flag or giving a reason to NOT hire you.

Next, make sure your voicemail itself is professional stating only your name and a quick message informing the caller that you will call them back at your earliest convenience. This means the funny joke of saying “Hello” and pausing for a few seconds so the person calling you starts talking and THEN continuing your voicemail has got to go. Also, make sure you don’t play any music in your voicemail. Keep the information short and sweet so the caller wants to leave you a voicemail and doesn’t hang up and ruin your chances of potentially landing a position.

2.
When you leave a message for someone, you need to be quick and informative. You don’t need to leave a five minute message with a ton of information. Let them know why you’re calling, how they can reach you when they return your call and when the best time to call is. That is all you need to leave for a caller. When they return your call, you can give them the additional information.

“Why can’t I leave all of the information in the message?”
Usually, we want to hear back from the person whom we are leaving a message. The easiest way to do this is by following the steps above. Let them know that you are calling and how to return your call to obtain the necessary information and it guarantees a call-back.

Leaving professional voicemails and having a professional voicemail for callers is one of the first steps to building your professional image and ultimately landing that perfect job!


-JT