Undergraduate Blog / Career Development

Professional Voicemails that will Attract Employers.

Professional Voicemails that will Attract Employers.

This post was written by Gyda Sumadi ’18, CCD Peer Career Ambassador.

How old were you when you got your first cell phone? 12? 14? Basically, you were pretty young.

When was the last time you updated your voicemail?

If the answer to this question was the same as your answer to “How old were you when you got your first cell phone?” Then, we have a problem.

If you are applying for internships or full time job opportunities you will be giving out your phone number in order for employers to contact you regarding setting up interviews, onboarding, etc. This requires that you have a very professional voicemail so in the case that you cannot answer a call, an employer can leave you a message. This may seem like an overly picky detail in the scheme of job hunting. However, I assure you it’s not. Employers and recruiters will be evaluating who you are as a person both in the office and outside of working hours. They want to hire someone who will represent their company professionally even after 9am to 5pm hours. Part of creating a professional profile is by being overall polished; this includes your attire but also how you present yourself. Your voicemail is a way of presenting yourself to people who have never met you. The last thing you want is for an employer to not hire you because your voicemail says something like: “Hey there I can’t answer your call because I’m too busy.”

This may not seem like a bad voicemail to you however it surely is because of these reasons:

  1. You have not confirmed to the employer that it is indeed you they have reached (not providing name confirmation may indicate to the company that they have the wrong contact information).
  2. It’s short and dry. Hearing a voicemail message that does not provide any apologetic tone for missing the call is not very pleasing to hear. Try to sound sympathetic in your voicemails or provide reassurance that you will indeed reach back out.

Here is a good example of a voicemail message that will properly reflect your professionalism:

“Hello, you have reached Gyda, I’m sorry I can’t get to the phone right now, please leave me a detailed message followed by your phone number so I can respond back as soon as possible. Thank you”.

From one student to another, I am giving you this piece of advice that I received from a professional, so I am telling you it matters!