C ONTACTING EMPLOYERS How to successfully access the ‘hidden’ job market

I MPROVE YOUR CHANGES OF GETTING A JOB You can contact employers by:  writing to them  visiting them  phoning them

B E PREPARED When you contact an employer, make sure you have with you:  your résumé  a pen and paper for making notes  a checklist of questions that you want to ask

C OLD CALLING ‘Cold calling’ is phoning employers that you have not met before. Cold calling can be used to:  gain an interview  find out job related information  make networking contacts

H OW TO SOUND CONFIDENT OVER THE PHONE You can sound confident by:  knowing the name and title of the person you want to talk to  practising what you are going to say  letting the person you are talking to know how you can benefit the company or their business

G ETTING ACCESS TO THE PERSON YOU WANT TO SPEAK TO Receptionists or personal assistants are often responsible for screening calls. The more important the person you are calling is, the harder they will be to reach.

G ETTING ACCESS TO THE PERSON YOU WANT TO SPEAK TO Ask the receptionist the name of the person who does the hiring:  ‘Hello, this is Kathy Porter. Would you please give me the name of the person responsible for staff selection?’ OR  ‘Would you please tell me the name of the manager of the IT department?’

G ET THE NAME RIGHT ! Ask for the person’s full name and the correct spelling, and find out how to say their name. If you can’t get past the assistant, tell them about your skills and experience. Ask about the company and for advice on the best way to follow up on getting a job there.

T RY AGAIN LATER ! If this doesn’t work, call at a different time of day and speak to someone else. Now that you know the names and roles of people you want to speak to, this should be easier.