Calling someone in an organization to inquire about a job opportunity can be a tough thing to do. Especially for those who are not natural talkers on a phone, their heartbeat can go up just on the thought of it.
Sending an email is always a good option, but it is not a security for a person to land up in a job because an employer receives thousands of emails on a day and the chances of missing out on many are quite too high. But a call can be an effective way to know about the job and it is also a first direct interaction with the employer.
Understanding that talking on the phone need to be crisp, clear and to the point is important because an employer can get the first impression about the person from a call without actually meeting the person. The benefit of this is that a simple impressive call can even land a person to an interview.
Calling to inquire about jobs is just one way to know about it, but there are various other direct and indirect ways to make an inquiry. For example, learning about the job opening from a friend or a colleague, or social media. In such a tech savvy world learning and asking about the opportunities is immense, the only thing required is that one needs to be attentive to the information surrounding them.
Below are the points to know when inquiring about job openings:
How to Inquire about a Job by Phone:
1. Do some research before calling:
Before making any call to the company, it is important to do some good research about them. Know completely about the vacancy of the job profile, its requirements, about the company, its structure, and work culture. It’s essential to gain the complete information as if any additional queries are to make then you can ask then and there itself.
Knowing about the company will also give you an insight as to how it functions and would you like to work in such a place. Also, it is helpful during a conversation with the person on the other end and learns any additional information required.
2. Plan what is to be said:
It is always good to write down what you plan to say on the phone. Jot down the key points that should be said on the phone. Writing helps to make you understand that you are not missing out on the essential point while in a conversation. It is good to write and check a few times of it.
Planning of the conversation should be based on the research done by you, based on the job profile and the company. Planning also saves the embarrassment of forgetting to ask something on the phone and even after the call is made, many times people forget to ask certain questions.
3. Decide the right location:
Before making a call, be in a silent location and no one can disturb you. Avoid taking on the busy street or while traveling as the person on the other end can hear the noise, also the conversation might not be clear either. Interrupting you while talking or kids screaming around you will leave a bad impression.
Ensure that the receptivity of your phone is good and the conversation is clear and crisp. Another important point to pay attention to it is that the place should not have an echo sound in the room, as the resonance will disturb the clarity of the sound. A clear sound also leaves a good impression on the person on the other side and they understand the seriousness in your attitude.
4. Practice your call:
Before making a call for a job inquiry, it is good to practice your call. Practicing helps in various ways, it gives you the confidence to speak clearly and effectively on the phone, prevents from stammering or wasting time on thinking as to what is to be spoken.
Practicing also helps to understand what are the essential questions required to be asked. It is good to keep a timer while working in a call practice, as it will give a fair idea of the time spent on the call.
If you feel the conversation is too long then better to rework on it. Practicing will save a lot of time in the last minute thinking about the conversation and helps to learn more about everything.
5. Address the person:
After making the call, address the person as Ms. or Mr., introduce yourself and mention the purpose of the call. Try to make it more like a personalized call as it helps to connect with the person on the other end.
Pay attention to the information shared by the person and write as to what all is saying, ensure to clarify your doubts then and there. In case you are not able to understand the information then ask to repeat it nicely.
A conversation should be a two-way thing, where not only you introduce yourself to the person but you are equally attentive to them. At the end of the conversation, don’t forget to thank them as it gives a positive impression about you. These small etiquettes are essential and leave a longer impression on the person.
6. Be confident:
Confidence is the key to everything. Even on a call, your voice should carry that confidence that the person on the other end is impressed by it. While talking over the phone if a person is standing or sitting straight, it automatically brings confidence in the voice.
Also, avoid talking on the phone while lying on a bed as the voice loses confidence in it. Pay attention that while talking to the person just focus on the conversation rather than doing something else while talking.
When being attentive during a call, it helps to know all the right information and the queries can be resolved then and there. Confidence is a virtue that everyone is looking up to and it might eventually land you up for an interview.
7. Call as a follow-up:
Certain calls are a part of the follow-up calls, therefore, ensure to keep an organized list of all the companies, their names, calls, name of the contact person and dates and the gist of the conversation. It is easy when it comes to making up a follow-up.
When talking to the concerned person, after introducing yourself mention the info about the previous call and letting them know about the exact purpose of the call. This makes it easier for the person on the other end to remember you and will be able to provide you the additional information easily.
8. Record yourself:
It is good to record yourself talking to the person on the other side of the phone. Recording helps to improvise the conversation and know how it can be refined. Hollow words like ‘um‘ and ‘uh‘ can be worked up which one can understand only by listening to themselves.
This will help while practicing the calls, as it will give an idea of the areas of improvisation and how the other person feels and reacts about the conversation. How the questions can be framed better can also be worked upon. Recording helps to know if the conversation is getting boring or uninformative.
How to Effectively Inquire about a Job Opportunity:
1. Send an email:
The first step to inquire about a job is to send an email with the correct information. Do keep in mind that this kind of email can also work as a cover letter. Even if there are no job openings, then the CV along with these letters can be useful during the time of relevant job opening.
Ensure to follow the standard business format in the email, mentioning the name of the hiring manager, inquiring about the job, with sharing your experience and other skills along with the resume attached to the email.
2. Use social media platforms:
Social media has become an interesting platform for a person to learn and interact with a company. Follow the companies on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
These companies whenever there is a job opportunity open up, so always post it on the social media platforms. Another best way is that you can send the inquiry along with sharing your CV to the employer through social media channels.
Interacting with the employer here is easier than any other way since one can easily get in touch with them and can have a relevant conversation.
3. Meet the hiring manager:
Another interesting approach is to fix an appointment with the company’s hiring manager and share your experience with them.
It is not necessary that it might land you in a job immediately but this works best for the hiring manager to remember you and think of you as soon as the first opportunity comes in the organization.
It is good to practice the interview with the relevant questions and answers because it will give a positive impression about you to the hiring manager. They will understand and see the effort that you put in which can deliver great results.
4. Attend job fairs:
This is one of the ways to find the best opportunity around. Many companies send their representatives to these job fairs to reach out to the best candidates. Talk to the person from the company, learn from them about the company and see what are the opportunities available.
At these job fairs, you can get a lot of information about the company and can apply accordingly. Later ensure to call them and follow up with them to get an interview schedule.
5. Look for reference:
Another best way to find the job is to go through the social network of friends and colleagues. In industry, people connect and they tend to know what when and where a job vacancy can come up.
Letting these people know that you are looking for a job will be helpful, as they will inform you if in case something comes up. An inquiring job through a known source is always beneficial as it generally tends to land up in an interview and reduces the struggle of the job hunt.
6. Contact a headhunter:
This is another effective way to know about a job since headhunters are the best people to learn about the openings and vacancies around in the industry. Find the right headhunter as per your requirement, share your resume with them and let them know what you are looking for, from expecting salary to designation and more.
Headhunters will ensure to keep your information on the rack, and as soon as they come up with a particular job opening they will inform you of this. Hence, going through a headhunter is one of the best ways to find a job.
Finding the right job is important for every person to be happy. It is not just about a company or a place but more about personal satisfaction. Hence, with so many competitive people around the only best possible way to find the job is persistence.
Keep looking for the right opportunity, try to make personal contact and reach out to hiring managers. Ensure that people see you in the right place at the right time when you are looking for a job. Initially, it might feel difficult and one has to face disappointments, the only best way is to keep going in the right direction.
The opportunities in the industry are available since various new startups are coming up and these startups need efficient people and a strong team to do the best of the work for them. Inquiring about the job might seem to be difficult but not impossible. Be open to the options available because you never know where the best things can come from.
