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	You are here: Career Services > For Students > Job search > Telephone use > Receiving calls from employers
JOB SEARCH TOOLS & SKILLS: Resumes and vitae Cover letters & other letters E-mail Telephone References Researching employers   FINDING JOBS & EMPLOYERS: How VT grads did it Who hired VT grads How to start your job search Pros & cons of ways to job-hunt Advertised jobs Unadvertised jobs Networking VT CareerLink CareerSearch Hokies4Hire & the On-Campus Interviewing Program Job listing web sites On-line job search advice & privacy protection   MEETING EMPLOYERS: Handshakes Career fairs / job fairs Employer info sessions Interviewing Interview attire Business casual attire Dining etiquette   DECIDING ON A JOB OFFER: Salary, benefits, negotiating Responding to job offers Acknowledging a job offer Deadline extensions Declining Accepting Contracts Relocating   SPECIAL INTERESTS: Diverse students International students Students with disabilities LGBT students Graduate students	Receiving calls from employers Once your job search begins, your telephone becomes a business tool. Be prepared to receive calls: - Clean up your voice mail (or answering machine message). Make it clear, brief and to the point so the employer knows she is reaching the correct number. Employers are typically calling long distance and don't need to listen to a lengthy message. No cleverness with messages. - This is mostly a thing of the past since most students use cell phones with voice mail, but if by chance you have an answering machine that beeps once for each message that has been left, clean out your messages. Employers don't need to listen to 14 beeps before they can leave their messages. - Roommate / housemate issues:  If you receive calls on a land line, remind your roommates that you may get calls from employers. Some employers call students prior to 8:00 a.m. to increase the likelihood of reaching you at home and before class. If you are unavailable to take calls, your roommates should not say anything about you that you would not want repeated in an interview. If your roommates aren't prepared to speak in cordial manner or take an accurate message at particular times, ask them not to answer the phone. A message from "someone from some company" won't help you much. - Timing: If an employer catches you at a bad time and you can't speak, don't hesitate to politely explain this and offer to call back at a time convenient to the employer.   Also see:   Making calls: reasons, etiquette & effectiveness   When employers don't return your calls   Telephone interviews   Cell phone use in your job search
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Page updated 1/29/07