Cell Phones: How To Maintain Cell Phone Etiquette During The Job Search
By Sklar & Associates In Candidate Article On August 3, 2014
Just about everyone has a cell phone and for many of us it’s our only phone.
Still, career coaches advise jobseekers to be cautious when using cell phones during a job search, mostly because the static and disconnects that are so common with cell phones can irritate potential employers.
“It’s fine to use a cell phone, but there have to be boundaries,” says Deborah Brown-Volkman, president of Long Island, N.Y.-based Surpass Your Dreams. “I suggest to people that they include a note on a resume or cover letter with the best time to call and whether it’s a cell phone or a home phone.”
Cell phone etiquette typically means keeping your voice down while on the phone in public.
But for jobseekers, cell phone etiquette is primarily about maintaining a sense of professionalism.
The magazine Cellular Phone News advises cell phone users to pay full attention to either the person on the phone or the people they are with.
In other words, if you are speaking with a potential employer on your cell phone, give that person your full attention.
If you can’t, Cellular Phone News suggests walking or driving to a less disruptive location before talking. Or better yet, use voicemail or caller ID to screen calls when you’re not in a suitable environment to speak with a potential employer.
“The one thing I don’t like about cell phones is that a call could surprise you and you won’t have time to prepare,” says Brown-Volkman.
Perhaps the most recurring piece of advice for jobseekers, however, is that whether making a cell phone call to an employer or receiving one, always tell the person that you are on a cell phone.
The person you’re speaking with then has the option to ask you to call back from a different phone.
“People are so accustomed to answering their cell phones wherever they are,” says Brown-Volkman. “But you want to come across professionally. Business is still business.”