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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted on: Monday, May 5, 2003

Yo, keep it simple before the beep

Chicago Tribune

Here are insights into today's labor market and some answers for employers, employees and job seekers:

Answering machine answers: If you're looking for a job, it's not enough to have a dedicated phone line and an answering machine or message service at home for calls from prospective employers.

You also have to have a professional-sounding message.

"One of the weakest links of a job search, the faux pas that can trip you more quickly than any other, is the answering machine message," said John Haag, director of career services at the University of Denver. "Be as professional with your answering machine message as you are in your resume."

The director says to keep it simple. "Just say: 'I'm not available right now but I will return your call as soon as possible. Please leave your message at the sound of the tone. Thanks.' "

Haag reports that one of the most unprofessional messages he's ever heard was this one: "Yo, we're out. You know what to do. So do it." He observes that "in today's uncertain job market you have to do all of the little things right."

Even though Haag isn't job-hunting, his answering machine message might be important to hear.

It turns out to be plain vanilla:

"Hi, you've reached John Haag. Please leave your message after the beep. Thank you."

And there wasn't one "yo" in it.