Setting an Appointment - Telephone Guidelines

When phoning, some career experts recommend that you be as presentable in dress and demeanor as you would be in person. Otherwise, you may place yourself in an awkward position in relation to the person you are calling. There are various schools of thought on this issue. And, depending upon your comfort level of dealing with people over the phone, it is more important to develop a style and strategy type that will work well for you than it is to focus on a cookie cutter approach. Discuss differing styles with us at American Search Partners.

The quoted norm to beginning your phone conversation is to always identify yourself before moving into the scrip. Or, they might urge you to speak in an enthusiastic manner and to keep a script in front of you of what you want to say. Now, if you get thrown off the track by some unexpected question or reaction to your call, it will be relatively easy to recover when you have your thoughts written out. However, you may need just quips, phrases, or bullet point ideas, rather than a script.

The most important thing to remember is to get an appointment; and almost everything is acceptable short of lying or deceit.

The following contains generalized statements regarding the telephone appointment setting approach. American Search Partners can help you with your individual situation.

Normally, an executive will have voice mail but you must be prepared in case an administrative assistant answers the phone. Establish rapport early because the administrative assistant is a facilitator, gatekeeper, and valuable business contact when used within the boundaries of effective gatekeeper communications.

When speaking, be positive, sure of yourself, and determined without seeming arrogant or rude. If you seem hesitant, indecisive or unsure of yourself, you may be put on the defensive and your chances of getting to talk to the person you are calling are minimized. You should expect to get through and to get an appointment or interview.

For business contacts and to learn the rest of this appointment strategy, contact one of our Career Strategy Advisers.

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Resume Planning & Strategy

Your resume is a presentation of what you will do well. It is a unique, dynamic, and factual representation of you at your best. It is a marketing tool, designed to create an interest in examining the “product” being described and to elicit an interview.

It is also an indication of future achievement of what you can accomplish for the employer. An employer can only hire for the future.

Your resume has three purposes:

1. To present your Career Objective in terms of your greatest strengths and to present this objective in a positive and unique way

2. To prove that your Career Objective is realistic and supported by related experience and accomplishments.

3. To enable you to take control of interviews by using your resume as a script and as a point of reference.

Your resume is also a bried or a brochure, which states:

1. This is what I want (your Objective).

2. This is why the Objective is reasonable: these are my capabilities (your Qualifications).

3. This is proof of my capabilities (your Achievements).

4. This is the environment where I gained those capabilities (your Experience and/or Education).

Remember, as in any form of communication, it is imperative to keep in mind the audience, the message, and the mode of transmission and reception. Construct the resume in a form that is articulate, easy to read, and visually appealing. Speak the language of the audience and structure your resume to allow the reader to find all the relevant information with the greatest ease and facility. American Search Partners works collaboratively with our clients throughout the building of their marketing materials and the resume writing process.



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