Tips for Temps - The Follow Up Phone Call

Take some time out of your job search to google banana phone. There are some great stock photos.

The phones rings often here at Philly Temps. People calling to see what we staff for (full time office support primarily; we also provide part-time as needed customer service and event work,) clients calling with jobs, registered temps calling in with their availability, workers on assignment, and people following up on their application. The follow up phone call is about a quarter of the total calls we answer every day. With that in mind, I want to give all of our applicants some tips to make the most of their phone calls to and from Philly Temps, or with any temp agency. In fact, many of these guidelines hold true for all job seekers, regardless if they are contacting an agency or a business.

We try very hard to get resumes entered into the system as swiftly as possible, usually within 3 business days. We also try to ensure that every applicant gets an email confirmation. Philly Temps understands how stressful the job search process can be and that candidates engage with us in good faith. We try our best to treat all applicants with equal speed and consideration of their qualifications. Most of our postings get hundreds of responses in the first days alone. We input tens of thousands of resumes each year.

This post will focus on tips for the initial follow-up phone call. In the future I will cover best practices for the possible phone interview. So how can you make the most out of any follow up contact? You have applied to a job you are very interested in. Common protocol dictates the next step is the follow up phone call. When should you make it?

As a small office, I can tell you right after you hit send is not the right answer. We field calls daily from people following up on resumes that haven't even landed in our inboxes yet. Not all email is received instantaneously. Additionally, the person who answers the phone may not be the person who would receive your resume even if it has been sent. Although a follow up phone call has the potential to demonstrate your enthusiasm for the position and ability to follow through, that is undermined if your timing illustrates you have no empathy for the process on the other end.

So when should you follow up? A few days after you have submitted your resume, at a reasonable time in the business day. This allows time for you resume to be entered into the system and reviewed. That being said, if you receive word that you will be contacted, trust that whomever is reviewing your resume will reach out and contact you if they feel you are a good fit. If you want to be proactive, a follow up email a few days post submission is less intrusive and a good way to ensure your application did not get lost in the shuffle. Technical glitches do happen and it may not have been received.

If you are calling in, make sure you are in a quiet location and have your resume and the job description in front of you. If you are taking the initiative to make sure your resume has been received and to potentially discuss the opportunity with the person in charge of hiring, you should present yourself as organized and prepared. The staffing coordinator you speak with takes in to consideration your total phone presentation - not just what you say, but how you say it, and the choices you made before calling in. Are you prepared? Do you understand both the job and your own skills and experience? Do you have prepared responses to standard interview questions? Is there chaotic noise in the background? Do you interrupt the conversation to speak to someone else?

In every step of the job search and interview process you need to be the most professional version of yourself. These best practices ensure the most positive interaction between you and an event staffing coordinator. We look forward to hearing from you!