I am always shocked to find out how few people use the old fashioned method of picking up the telephone when they’re looking for a new job. As a recruiter I rarely get a spontaneous telephone call from candidates, but when I do it always makes a huge difference. It puts a human face to one of those hundreds of pieces of paper, otherwise known as the CV. That makes your CV stand out from the crowd.

As a professional recruiter, I will guarantee to give every CV a quick look, but if you have telephoned me ahead of time I will always give your CV more time, and I know that I am not the only one to do this.

As you would expect, however, there are some unwritten rules to this policy of using the phone::

• Make sure you are approaching the right person: This only takes a little research, and is absolutely vital if you want to see results. For example, I recruit for lots of positions within the technology sector, so if you are going to telephone me, then you should be interested in a job in technology, and can show me relevant work or education, so as not to waste both your time and mine!
• Make sure you check that the person you are calling has time: The recruiter that you’re calling may not always have time when you call, so check if they do at the start of your call, and if not, make an appointment to call back.
• Have your questions prepared: It is unlikely that you will get more than five minutes for a spontaneous call, and you will get even less if you are not prepared with relevant questions!

When you do make the call, you should have three main goals in mind:

• Does this person have an opening for which you are qualified? Hopefully, they will do. Recruiters don’t always advertise jobs they are working on.
• You want to know what skills you should be highlighting on your CV or cover letter for the type of job they recruit for. Do some research beforehand so that you can talk to them about something specific if possible, but generic will do. By which I mean if they are advertising a specific job that you wish to apply for, ask them what the key skills they are looking for, for that particular position. If they are not advertising a specific role, but you know that they work in the area you are interested in, then ring up and tell them the type of job you looking for, and give them a brief idea of key skills/experience that you have. They may have something for you.
• By the time you finish your call do you want to have a contact that you can phone again!

I believe that the telephone is the most useful App that you will ever have on your smart phone, so use it!

If you have a question that you want answered, please get in touch and let me know patricia@thecareerace.com