Now that you have a list of possible places your next step is to contact employers to find out if they have job openings
or are in need of your services. There are four ways to contact employers: in person, by telephone, by mail and by electronic networking.
Contacting Employers in Person
When contacting prospective employers in person, it is important to be
well prepared. This is possibly the most effective way to make your initial
contact. It allows the employer to better assess your qualifications, and
they will be more likely to remember you if a job becomes available. However,
if you have a long list of possible places of employment, contacting all
employers in person may not be practical. You should contact the employer
in person if a job advertisement directs you to do so.
It is quite possible that you will not connect directly with the person you
want on your first attempt. Be prepared to talk with an administrative support
individual or be ready to leave your message on a voice mail or answering
system. Here you may even want to write out and practice a script that you
would leave.
- Telephone the employer first and set up an appointment to see him or her.
- Appearance is very important. Be sure to dress appropriatley.
- Do not be late. Arrive on time.
- If you are answering an advertisement see the person named in the ad. If you have heard about a job opening
through a personal contact, see the person to whom you have been referred.
- Know your skills and abilities and how they match with the employer's needs, however, show your willingness
to learn new procedures and take on new responsiblities.
- Tell the employer about yourself. Explain why you think you are able to do a specific job. Be prepared to answer
questions.
- If the employer says there is no job available, ask if you can leave your resume in case a position opens
in the future. Ask the employer if he or she knows of anywhere else you might try.
- Be brief. When you have found out what you need to know, thank the employer and leave. You will impress the
employer as someone who does not waste time.
Contacting Employers by Telephone
The telephone is a very important tool in the job search process. You can be quaranteed that at some point during your search
you will talk to a potential employer on the telephone. Use the telephone to make direct contact and open the doors of opportunity.
Telephone skills are marketable job skills that many employers value. Therefore, it is critical that you prepare effectively before
using this powerful tool. It would not be wise to call someone and just start talking. When you are using the telephone in a job search campaign
the calls are business calls, not personal calls. When business or sales callers are promoting their products they have 20 seconds to capture the person's
attention. Therefore, communication has to be to the point and concise. It is recommended that you prepare a script before making your call.
Scripting is planning what you are going to say, perhaps even writing it down.
The following are some basic principles you may want to follow when preparing
a script:
- Be sure to have an objective for the call. Are you seeking information? Are you trying to schedule a meeting? Do you want to present your qualifications?
- Have a secondary objective. It is quite possible that you will not achieve
your primary objective, however, you may want to take the opportunity
to seek out other informatin from the person you contact.
- It is very important that you know the name of the person you wish to
speak with. If you don't know the person's name, then your first objective
is to obtain this information.
- Write out what you are going to say. However, it is important tht you do not read your script but present it naturally.
- Your script will depend on the goal of your call. A good script should include the following:
Introduction - Tell the person who you are.
Lead Statement - A brief statement designed to grab the person's attention.
Body - State the purpose of your call.
Close - Accomplish your objective, seek information, schedule a meeting?
When you are communicating with someone over the phone it is important that you follow certain principles related to telephone
communication. Review the following points to know what to do and what to expect.
- Watch for evidence that you have captured the listener's attention.
If they are asking you questions about your qualifications then they are
showing intererst in you.
- Call from a quiet location where you can concentrate and hear what the person is saying. Do not call from a busy area such as a restaurant or street corner or when the kids are
playing and yelling in the background.
- Listen carefully to what you are saying, how you are saying it and how
you are being received. If you sense that you have perhaps called at an
inconvenient time, politely ask if there is a better time.
- Take notes and have all the job search materials close at hand.
- Before making your calls, practice with a friend or family member. This will help you to develop
good telephone skills.
- A good thing to keep in mind before you start making your calls is to remember
that you may come in contact with a voice message. Know ahead of time
what you will say if you get someone's voice mail. Have an additional
script ready that will help you to leave a professional message that is
clear and simple. Your message should be 30 seconds or less.
Telephone Script Preparation Form
You can use the following form to help you prepare your script.
Date of Call:_____________________________________
Full name and title
of contact person:_______________________________
Name of company:________________________________________
Address:_________________________________________
Telephone Number(s):______________________________
Script
Primary Objective:
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
Secondary Objective:
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
Introduction:
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
Lead Statement:
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
Body:
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
Conclusion:
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
Result/Comments:
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
|
Contacting Employers by Mail
You may wish to make your intitial contact by mail. A job advertisement
will sometimes give only a box number or address and ask you to write for
information. You may also choose to send letters of inquiry to several employers
introducing yourself and asking about possible job openings. There are a
number of tips that can make your inquiries more effective.
- Before writing your letters record the things you want to say about yourself and the questions you want to ask
- If you are repllying to a job advertisement, follow the instructions in the ad and provide the information requested.
More information on writing a covering letter to be sent with your resume is provided in the resume section of this booklet.
- If you are canvassing employers to acquire information about job possiblities,
you should first find out the names of persons whom your letters should
be addressed. You can do this by making telephone calls. Phone each place
on your list and ask the secretary or switchboard operator for the name
of the manager or person responsible for hiring employees. Address your
letter to that person.
- If you are making inquiries at a large organization such as government or large industry, ask for the name of the Director of Human Resources and the heads
of all departments or branches. Remember that the Human Resoures Office will tell you only about advertised positions. You want to make personal contacts
with people who may have jobs in mind but have not advertised them.
- Unless a job advertisement specifically asks you to reply in your own handwriting type your letter of inquiry.
- If you are canvassing employers rather than replying to an advertisement
for example, if you are seeking employment and wish to work for a company
or place of business such as the one you are writing to. Briefly state
your skills, abilities, and experience. Request that the employer contact
you if a position becomes available. Your letter should be no longer than
one page. There is no need to send you resume at this point in your job
search.
- Personalize each letter that you send out. Although you may have a long
list, having the letter typed and addressed to a specific person is well
worth the effort. A photocopied letter addressed "To whom it may concern"
is very easy to ignore.
Electronic Networking
Electronic networking allows you the opportunity to discover the hidden
job market. It has become an excellent place to network for a variety of
reasons including finding job leads, researching occupations, and finding
support. It is estimated that 70% of individuals looking for a job find
their employment through networking - email, newsgroups and live chat. Good
communication skills are required to master these tools. Preparation and
practice are necesary in order to be successful. Many of the skills required
in telephone communication are also required when electronic networking.
Here are some general tips to assist you in networking.
- Be concise and to the point. Your main objective is to capture the readers' attention so they do not move on to something else right away.
- Proofread and edit carefully. When communicating you should be grammar perfect, error free and honest. The advantage to electronic networking is that you can say exactly what you mean to say.
- Be accurate in following all rules of etiquette. Numerous sites are available on the Internet that contain information on the standards of Internet etiquette. You may also want to look for publications
at you local library regarding this type of etiquette.
- Become proficient at applying good networking techniques. Networking
should never be one-sided, it should be mutually productive. Learn to
give as much if not more than you receive. Be polite by saying "Thank
you." Keep track by maintaining good records. Plan your follow-up.
- Be respectful to everyone. You never really know who might have an impact on your professional future. Usually more than one employer will partricipate in these conversations.
Remember that the person you are conversing with quite possibly may have a contact or know of an employment opportunity in your area.
The main purpose of networking is to build relationships - many of which
may last long beyond your job search. When you are networking you are not
just simply asking people for a job or if they know of any openings. To
be productive you may want to participate in Usenet Newsgroups or IRC Chat
discussions relating to your occupation. There are several of these groups
on the Internet and most professional occupations are represented.
Once you have decided on a couple groups, be consistent. Be sure to regularly
follow discussions. When first starting it is generally a good idea to just
listen without participating. Once you are familiar with the tone of the
conversation then you may join in. Pay close attention to who the key players
are in the group. Be sure to join in on the topic being discussed don't
immediately start talking about employment unless of course that is the
topic. Establish yourself to the group first and develop a couple of solid
relationships.
Fundamental to good electronic networking is knowing when to post or respond
to someone. There are a few rules it is imperative to follow. Always keep
in mind that you are communicating possibly to the whole world. Practically
anyone can read your message. Therefore, your communication should be directed
to the community at large. It is possible to communicate to only one or
two people by sending your message directly to them vial email.
Step 4: INDIVIDUALIZE YOUR RESUME
You have spent a good deal of time canvassing employers, and have perhaps been asked by more than one to submit a resume.
The question now is "How do you submit a resume so that it will get you an interview?"
- Individualize your resume in a covering letter. Individualizing your
resume is a way to focus the employer's attention on the skills you have
that are directly related to the job that you are applying for.
- In your letter, highlight the things in your background and experience
that make you the most likely candidate for the job. Be very specific
about your skills and experience. More information on writing a covering
letter can be found in the first section of the booklet.
Step 5: FILL OUT AN APPLICATION
Your resume has taken you one step further in your job search and an employer
has asked you to fill out an application form. Some employers will consider
your resume and letter to be the job application. However, larger organizations
will usually require that you fill a standard form. The form will be fairly
straightforward, but a few tips can help you in filling it out.
- Follow directions carefully. If it says "PRINT" then print.
- If a question doesn't apply to you put "N/A" in the space. N/A means "not applicable".
- Carry a copy of your resume with you to use when completing the application
form.
- Ask for two copies. You can fill one out in pencil first, then do your final copy. You can keep the first copy as a record.
THE NEXT STEP
If you have been through all five steps in this section on the job search,
you've done a lot of work. You've listed your skills and experiences, determined
the kind of job you are looking for, turned to a number of sources to look
for both advertised and unadvertised jobs, and contacted several employers.
If you have been successful in your job search, you've been asked for your
resume and you've filled out application forms. Now you wait to hear from
the employers.
If you have sent an application form to an employer and have not heard
anything for two weeks or so, it is acceptable to follow-up with a phone
call.
If you are contacted for an interview, you are ready to move on to the next section of this booklet. This is your chance to introduce yourself and convince the employer that you are the right person for the job!
First impressions count!
