Nowadays most hiring managers will use email to contact applicants to set up interviews, some may prefer to go down the traditional format and contact you by phone. Even if the interview was arranged over email they may still contact you by phone to offer you the job.
If an employer contacts you by telephone and you are unable to answer they are likely to leave you a voicemail. So here are some tips for creating a professional voicemail when job searching.
Delete any joke voicemails
Whilst it might have been funny in high school to have a joke voicemail that would send your friends into fits of laughter when applying for a job be sure to remove any prank voicemail messages.
After all, you don’t want to create a poor first impression by forcing the hiring manager to listen to your singing attempts, a message in the voice of your favourite TV show character or a not-so-funny joke.
Avoid having no voicemail at all
This may not be a major issue but it’s always better to have your own personal voicemail rather than using the generic message offered by your phone provider. Taking a few minutes to create a personal voicemail message can set you apart from the other applicants and demonstrate that you are approachable and reliable.
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What makes a professional voicemail?
A professional voicemail doesn’t have to be a lengthy message. After all, the whole point is simply to let the person know that you cannot answer your phone and you will return their call as soon as possible.
Be sure to use appropriate language, speak clearly and make sure there is no background noise when you record the message. You might want to write down what you would like to say and practice a few times.
For instance:
“Hello, this is [your name]. I’m sorry I cannot take your call at the moment. Please leave your name and telephone number and I will return your call as soon as possible. Thank you.
“Hi, you’ve reached [your name]. I am unable to answer the phone right now. Please leave your name, number and a short message and I will call you as soon as possible. Thank you, have a nice day.”
Make sure your storage isn’t full
Any voicemail messages will be stored on your phone and if your mailbox is full the hiring manager won’t be able to leave you a message. This is not ideal if they are trying to get in touch with you to schedule an interview or even offer you a job.
When job hunting, take some time to ensure any old voicemail messages have been deleted and there is enough storage on your phone to store new voicemails.
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