First impressions start with your resume or inquiry phone call.

SECTION "A"

When calling a prospective employer be:

• calm
• assured
• clear
• organized
• have your resume beside you
• review your resume again before making the call

Tip: Have a glass of water before you dial. Have your questions ready for the receptionist or Human Resource Contact, your pen & paper beside you. When you neglect to prepare yourself you stumble over words and this often leaves a bad first impression.

If you are speaking to the H.R. contact be prepared to answer questions and do not misrepresent your skills and abilities. Be sure your employment dates are in order.

When sending your resume to potential employers, remember that it not only represents and sells you but will be the first impression. Therefore, always ensure that you take the time to not only prepare it but to review, spell check and critique it from an outside perspective. If this is not possible have a friend, neighbour or relative who is objective, critique it for you and make any necessary changes. When calling the prospective employer to follow up on your resume, follow the tips in (Section A above). Introduce yourself; state the position that you are applying for and ask who is in charge of receiving these resumes. Don't start speaking to the first person who picks up the phone about your resume and ask why hasn't anyone called. This makes a "bad" first impression and should your resume already be in the "To Call" file, it would be quickly removed.