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Contacts with Potential Employers

Contacts with Potential Employers

Throughout your job search, remember that you are being evaluated at all times by prospective employers, from how your resume is written to your telephone and e-mail etiquette, and your responsiveness. It is important that you make every effort to show a prospective employer that you are the best candidate for their job. Here are some tips to make you shine as a prospective candidate and assist you in landing that all important first interview.

Good manners and common sense combine to make a positive first impression that may increase your chances of obtaining employment in a competitive and challenging economic environment. Without them, you might never get a chance to interview to find out if the job is right for you.

If an employer contacts you, it is important to promptly return their call or e-mail. Even if you are not interested in pursuing the job opportunity at that time, you should communicate that to the employer in a timely manner. You may become interested in the position or another opportunity with that employer in the future, but if you did not have the courtesy to respond in the past, they may not give you a second chance and you may be passed over.

If your resume and cover letter are impeccable, but your e-mail address is unprofessional or possibly offensive, you may not get a call from an employer. Make sure that your voice mail message is professional, appropriate and easy to understand. State your name in your voice mail message. If your voice mail greeting is inappropriate or unclear, the employer may not even leave a message after listening to it and you will never realize that you missed out on a possible employment opportunity.

Make sure your social networking profiles are professional and free of embarrassing photos or blog entries. Employers may be checking these sites to get an idea of the type of person they are considering for employment.

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Author: Dr. Patricia Wohlferth-Bethke, director of the Veterinary Career Center and assistant director of Membership and Field Services for the American Veterinary Medical Association. Courtesy of the AVMA.