TELEPHONE CALLS

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For the purposes of the JOB HUNTER the telephone can be a blessing indeed, but used incorrectly it can, and will if you let it, become an encouragement for laziness. The telephone should be used with care as a means to an end and not as an end in itself.

The telephone is a tool you use to get yourself in front of someone to whom you have things to say.

It should not be used as a device down which masses of information is passed to and fro and you must never allow yourself to be put in a position whereby you have to do such a thing.

Views are better expressed in face to face situations, for in such situations you are able to exercise a degree of control. You cannot do this via the telephone link as such a link has several obvious shortcomings.

True, the person on the other end cannot see your facial expressions or read your body language but that works both ways, for you are also unable to see the other person. If you are not relaxed and confident when you use the telephone, if you are under stress or very tired a perceptive recipient of your call will often be able to sense this.

Face to face situations are more controllable and you have a greater opportunity to influence events.

What the telephone will do for you, if used properly, is allow you to project an image that will persuade a prospective employer to favour you with an interview. This can have dangerous side effects, for you must always be on your guard not to project an image you cannot live up to when you finally get to meet the person you have worked so hard to see.

The telephone will not get you a job. You would not and should not expect it to.

Have you ever heard of anyone being offered a job on the strength of a telephone call?

One step at a time. Practise your telephone skills, keep notes of questions asked and work out effective replies. Commit them to memory. You will be repaid handsomely for your efforts.

First decide if the call you are proposing to make is suitable for the telephone, decide what you are going to say and only then pick up the receiver. Before you do anything else say this little rhyme to yourself:

Before you dial, SMILE.

When you have got it right, after a lot of practice you will be able to literally pull appointments "off the wall". That is an expression used in the trade; it means simply that with the minimum of information you can create an interview and put yourself in the position whereby you find yourself in imminent danger of being offered a job.

It goes a bit like this:

You were chatting to a stranger whilst waiting for a train - no, it's not a scene from "Brief Encounter" - you make conversation by asking where he/she works.

"What do you do to earn your crust then?"

As soon as he replies hold out hand for handshake and introduce yourself. Swop names. You are informed that he works for a company you have never heard of. Your face lights up. You say:

"They are based in Wigan, aren't they?"

The stranger happens to be waiting for a train to Wigan at the time so that wasn't exactly a Sherlock Homes deduction was it? You continue:

"That's extraordinary, I have a colleague at work who went for an interview there. He's something to do with computers".

(Always a safe bet, computers).

"Only the other day he was telling me about your personnel officer, can't for the life of me remember the name".

At this point you scratch your head and continue to mutter remarks like:

"My colleague said he was a very direct man, a man he got on well with".

At this point the stranger is so embarrassed he comes up with the name.

"That's right, I remember now, said something about a large contract being in the offing, one they'd have to recruit staff for".

Stranger has now got to take over the conversation and tell you all about his job, his company, his wife, his house, his golf handicap, etc. All you have to do is listen and nudge the conversation back to his company whenever you can.

You haven't wasted any time, you were waiting for a train. You can read the job advertisements during your journey. If the train turns up that is. If leaves are not on the line, or the wrong sort of snow, or the track has not been buckled by the heat of the sun.

You may not be aware of what you have got, you may not realise its value, you may not as yet know how to use the information.

Fear not. Read on.

Let's evaluate what you have by way of material to work with.

You have the name of the stranger, you know what he does, you know the name of the personnel manager, and what sort of state the company is in. You may know a great deal more and if you do so much the better.

Now let me tell you how to make use of the information. You ring up the personnel department manager and say:

"Good morning Joe, my name is, ...................... I was having a word with my friend Mister Stranger (give out first name only unless pressed) the other day and your name came up in the course of the conversation. I was saying I was on the look out for a position in the ...... industry/ field/ profession, where your company is so successful. I have direct knowledge of the field and have been very successful over the years. Most of the time with the A. B. C. Company. I was with them for XXX years in the XXX department in Coventry. I'm sure you will know of our old M.D. Tom Smith, sad to say, no longer with us. He was quite a character old Tom".

You can always rely on the mention of the death to get people's attention.

"Joe, the reason for my call is that my friend Stranger gave me the impression that it might be to our mutual benefit if I called in to see you. Just to exchange a little information, nothing heavy you understand. Let's see, I have a slot next week on ..... or would ..... suit you better?".

Go on to fix the appointment.

You are no threat to him; you are not calling to ask if there are any vacancies like everyone else does, and who all get told the same thing: NO.

You know one of his "friends" or at least a colleague. He may not know your Stranger from Adam and if he does may not be able to stand the sight of him. What the hell, what does it matter, you have a hook into the organisation that others will not have a clue how to get or recognise if they fell over it. Let alone know how to use it.

If he won't see you; not to worry. You have another card to play.

"Well fine Joe, I realise how busy you must be in an organisation as dynamic as yours. The pressure must really get the adrenaline running. What do you say if I drop you a note? Perhaps we can set up a meeting some time, when next I'm in the area? I'll put a note in the post just to confirm my interest in your company".

Joe will remember you, that's for certain. He may remember you as a pain in the neck to be avoided at all costs. On the other hand he might just have taken a shine to you and admired your initiative.

If you had not made the call you would not have been remembered at all.