An Interesting Article

[Resume Writer]

I found this article in the Chicago Tribune and thought it might be interesting to everyone.

Caller ID tests job applicants, so phone from home
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Carol Kleiman

February 12, 2004

Here's an inside look at the world of work:

The trap of Caller ID: More business phones than you would ever imagine now are equipped with Caller ID. And that's why one employer warns that if you apply for a job on company time, you might be found out.

"Don't call the prospective employer from your current employer's phone on your current employer's time," advises James W. Randolph of Long Beach, Miss. "If you do that to your employer, the potential employer will know right away that you'll do it again if you are hired and later decide to move on."

Randolph, a veterinarian, has a staff of five, and when he has a position open, applicants are asked to fill out a questionnaire. One question is about honesty.

"A recent applicant said that honesty is very important to her and that she had called me from her cell phone and faxed information to me from home," he said. "But the Caller ID showed she did it from work. She probably still wonders why she didn't get the job."

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Another bit of advice I have is that when you do call an employer from home and you get a voicemail, leave a message. If that employer has caller ID and you do not leave a message, then it does not look good. You can always do a *67 on your phone before you dial the number, especially if you have made repeated attempts to contact the employer and you do not want them to know you are calling continuously.

 

[bobbysamd]

Job-seeking faux pas

Good article.

We recently had an opening in our law office. A few applicants faxed resumes from their work machines. I don't remember for sure, but at least one may have used a company fax cover sheet!

Here's a question for you, Kathy. What if you're currently employed and want to move on but don't want your employer to know? I've written in my cover letters that I am currently employed and request that my employer not be contacted. That kind of flies in the face of conventional wisdom that the best way to get a new job is to already have a job.

???

Thanks for your excellent contributions to the board.

 

[Resume Writer]

Bobby,

I think that is a legitimate request to not have your current employer contacted. I believe that most HR people respect that and will usually only call to verify employment if a position is offered.

One thing I sometimes suggest to my clients is that they find a friendly person within their company to serve as a point of contact. I had one client a number of years ago who did not want his current manager to know that he was looking elsewhere. He put another manager as his supervisor and it worked out. Every situation is different.

I will be sure to ask this question and others at the HR Forum at the end of the month.

Kathy