You won’t get a job if they can’t find you...

IT IS great to have a brilliant CV and skills that are in demand. But if you want to get a job you better be easy to get hold of. Otherwise prospective employers will give up on you and move to the next best candidate in line. “In this stage of connectivity and mobility, prospective employers expect job applicants to be contactable at once, says Natalie Rabson of Boston City Campus and Business College.

“Gone are the days when a recruiter goes out of his way to get hold of a job applicant in a relaxed manner and over a couple of days. Now it is taken for granted that job applicants can be reached instantly – and those that don’t respond quickly enough to an interview request face the prospect of losing out.” If you’re serious about your job application, you have to ensure at all times that your contact details are correct and that you are contactable no matter which part of the world you may find yourself in. This means your cell phones have to be charged and your service provider needs to offer good coverage.

“It won’t really help to come up with an excuse such as that your phone battery is running low – most people expect to that you will be immediately contactable or that you will immediately call back,” adds Rabson. “Though you may find some sympathy when your phone cuts out due to poor coverage – everyone accepts that is one element that only the cellular networks can control.” Also be warned that prospective employers don’t hesitate to look up job seekers on social media when they want to get hold of you. Going on Facebook serves dual purpose in this regard: the employer can contact you directly and discreetly but can also a feel of who you are, what you stand for and even what you look like. Then there’s Twitter. As you’ve probably noticed by now, even our politicians have adopted tweeting to achieve their career goals, namely to reach as many voters as possible before the municipal elections next Wednesday so they can get elected.

It’s interesting to see that political message often gets lost in favour of the discussion about who is the quickest to answer tweets and who has the most followers,” Rabson points out. “No matter who you are the message is clear: to get ahead you need to be reachable across all the mediums and tools that modern that modern technology offers – and quickly.” To ensure prospective employers can get hold of you when they want to, implement the following tips:

• Indicate on your job application which is the best way to get hold of you.
• If you cannot or do not wish to be contacted via Facebook or Twitter, say so. It may also be a good idea to state whether your cellphone has limitations (for example cannot access internet).
• Provide an alternative cell number (a friends or relatives number).
• Give a landline number as a back-up – a relative’s home or work number will do.
• Confirm the contact numbers of those who will be giving references on your behalf. It reflects badly on you if an organisation tries in vain to contact a referee.
• Keep an updated list of all applications that you have submitted so you can follow up .
• When submitting an application ask how long you can expect to wait before receiving a reply. This way you can follow up on your application if you have not had any feedback within the given period of time.
• Tell friends and relatives about your job applications – should someone phone, they can be more helpful and professional if they know what it is all about.
• Have a professional voicemail facility where messages can be left for you – and reply on the same day if possible.
• Provide an e-mail address, as e-mail is easy to access via cellphone or computer regardless of where you may be, even overseas.
• Mention your nickname in your application. This way if you answer your phone using your nickname instead of your official name, the person on the other side will not think they have the wrong person. “Whatever you do, ensure that it is easy to get hold of you so that you don’t lose out on possible job openings,” Rabson reiterates.

Boston City Campus and Business College offers more than 80 dynamic career qualifications throughout 48 branches nationwide. Unisa degrees and media studies are also available at selected branches.

Contact Boston on 011 551 2000, e-mail info@boston.co.za or visit www.boston.co.za.

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