Cold Calling Prospectives

Today everyone is using emails and online social networking to find jobs, still the old technique of selling yourself over the telephone works but is overlooked today. These calls are met with a lot of rejection. One of the main reasons is that the prospective employer is not looking for that call to happen. They are not prepared to take it. And then going right beside that is that, the person calling them is not prepared as well.

Here are some things to help prepare you if you decide to cold call:

1. Know yourself. Know your strengths and weaknesses. If you are shy, you probably will have a harder time on cold calling. If you are outgoing, you might have a better chance. But know your weaknesses before you call.

2. Call the right person. If you want to cold call than find out who the person is that is hiring for the position. Calling a recruiter is not going to get the job. Find out that manager's name that you would be working for.

3. Have a pitch. Be prepared to sell yourself, your strengths, your knowledge. Remember that half the point of the call is to get your audience's attention within 10 seconds. Have a punch line, like "Hi, I'm Amber Smith. I worked for one of your competitors for the last 10 years and managed their lines. I think I would be perfect for an Administrative job with your organization. Would it be possible to set up a meeting?

4. Practice Practice Practice - I can not stress how important it is to practice your speech before you call. The more you practice the less likely you will get thrown a curve ball.

5. Follow Up. You called them. You gave your pitch then send a letter to acknowledge that you are very interested in the position.

Good luck.

What to Ask and Not Ask a Prospective Employer

Candidates need to realize that they are interviewing the prospective employer as well. So when they come to that ultimate question, "Do you have any questions for me?" The answer should always be "YES". This is the time to ask for answers that you need such as:

• Why is this position available? You really want to know did the person get promoted, did the company grow to need the position, or did the person resigned.
  
• What are the most important skills for this job? When they answer that question..counter it with what skills you have.
  
• How would you describe the ideal candidate? Let them know that you think you have those characteristics.
  
• Is there opportunities for advancement? This question shows them that you are looking for a career and not just a job. They like to hear that.
  
• Where do you see the company is five years? You are asking this question to see if they expect growth. They will know the answer. All executives of a company know the plans for the future of their company.

By asking questions, you are showing that you are interested in the company. It also gives you the chance to show how knowledgeable you are about the industry and the position. Most important, it allows you to demonstrate why you are the perfect candidate.

There are things that you should never ask about as well early in the interview process such as:

• Salary - you have the skills or you wouldn't be interviewing. Let’s negotiate that later on when they really are interested.
  
• Sick or Vacation time - No employer wants to think that you are thinking about vacation time before you start working. They will think you won't work hard.
  
• Compensation - Never go into 401k, medical policy. You do not want the employer thinking that you are more interested in compensation than the company itself.