Skillmax_Unit5_TelephoneSkills

Skillmax Resource Guide Active Job SeARch telephone SkillS SkillmAx ReSouRce Guide 2012 Pathways to Employment UNIT 5 U N IT 5 2 Skillmax reSource guide 2012 SKILLMAX Skillmax reSource guide 2012 3 UNIT 5: TELEPHONE SKILLS contents Welcome to unit 5 4 positioning yourself for the interview 6 Activity 1 7 Activity 2 11 Activity 3 12 Activity 4 16 the telephone interview 17 Activity 5 18 Activity 6 20 Activity 7 21 Giving information clearly on the telephone 22 Activity 8 23 Activity 9 24 Activity 10 25 Activity 11 26 Activity 12 28 Activity 13 29 Activity 14 30 Activity 15 31 Activity 16 32 Activity 17 33 Activity 18 34 Activity 19 36 Activity 20 37 preparing for a jobseeking telephone call 38 Activity 21 38 making jobseeking telephone calls 40 putting telephone strategies to work 41 Activity 22 41 Activity 23 43 Activity 24 45 Activity 25 47 Activity 26 48 4 Skillmax reSource guide 2012 SKILLMAX Welcome to unit 5 unit 5 focuses telephone skills for active jobseeking. You will practise telephone strategies that ensure you understand what people are saying and that the listener understands you. You will also listen to and analyse telephone calls in terms of their success. Assessment there is no formal assessment in unit 5 but the teacher will check your role played telephone calls against performance criteria. SKILLMAX Skillmax reSource guide 2012 5 Active Job SeARch cold calling Researching compainies the telephone interview SKILLMAX Active Job SeARch cold cAllinG telephone inteRvieW Role plAYS communicAtion oveR the telephone communicAtion StRAteGieS UNIT 5: TELEPHONE SKILLS 6 Skillmax reSource guide 2012 SKILLMAX positioning yourself for the interview there are various avenues for seeking employment. one of the strategies involves researching and contacting a prospective employer. this is referred to as cold calling or prospecting the company. this method not only builds confidence but also gives you an opportunity to self-market yourself and target a specific employer or industry sector. hAvinG the RiGht Set of SkillS When telephoninG RecRuiteRS And emploYeRS • listening ■ • Asking questions ■ • Answering questions ■ • confirming information ■ • Seeking clarification ■ • Writing down information ■ • using a confident and friendly tone of voice ■ Skillmax reSource guide 2012 7 UNIT 5: TELEPHONE SKILLS Activity 1 Research three companies that you would like to work for and that reflect your professional background. Research the company in the industry of your chosen profession and create a list. this includes the mission statement, values, products/ services, location, size, and any other relevant statistics. Refer to the websites in the Resource section of this Guide to assist you in your research. complete the contact worksheet to record your findings and information. Step 1 investigate the following: ■ current employment vacancies ■ The possibility of an informal interview ■ referrals to other employers ■ Future job vacancies ■ methods of job application ■ introduction to key contacts within the company ■ referrals from associated business contacts Step 2 contact the company and identify the name of a contact person who is in the best position to offer you a job (the hiring manager). Your information should include name and title. Step 3 Prepare a list of potential questions to ask the hiring manager. Step 4 confirm your follow-up strategy/action after the phone call. Step 5 Submit your research findings and your worksheet to your teacher for assessment. File your research into your career Portfolio. 8 Skillmax reSource guide 2012 SKILLMAX N um b er d at e c o m p an y c o nt ac t p er so n T itl e Q ue st io ns Fo llo w -u p a ct io n 1 2 3 c o nt ac t W o rk sh ee t Skillmax reSource guide 2012 9 UNIT 5: TELEPHONE SKILLS case study 1 Read the following case study. on the 12th february this year Raj oman a mechanical engineer, contacted paul James, hR manager from Abbott lee and Sons and asked the following questions: 1. are there any current employment vacancies in the engineering department? if not, in what period of time will you be seeking new staff? 2. How does your company recruit for new employees? do you use an agency or advertise yourself? What websites or newspapers do you use? 3. What specific qualifications do you require in your mechanical engineering department? 4. Would it be possible to speak to the manager of the engineering department to discuss the above and introduce myself. 5. could i please ask the name of the manager? 6. i would like to send you my résumé, who is the best contact person to address it to? 7. can i reconfirm your address please? 8. i will call back in a week to recheck you have received my letter and résumé. is that suitable? 9. can i leave you my name and contact phone numbers? The manager can call me today at any time and tomorrow from 10.00am onwards. thank you for your time and information. You have been very helpful. Goodbye. 10 Skillmax reSource guide 2012 SKILLMAX case study 2 Read the following case study. on the 17th february this year, Raj oman contacted the manager of the engineering department, lee Robsworthy. Read the following conversation: l: Well i am busy right now but will endeavour to help you. r: Yes i appreciate you are busy and any information you have is very helpful. l: Tell me more about your qualifications? r: i can provide you with my current qualifications and my overseas experience as well as my local employment/work experience. l: are you a permanent resident? r: Yes i am a permanent resident and as such i am seeking full-time or contract work. l: What kind of teamwork have you experienced? r: i worked in a team of 8 engineers in my previous position overseas and feel confident i can adapt to the australian workplace. i would like to give you some examples. l: are you available for an interview next week? r: Yes i am available for an interview or a discussion at a time and day that suits you. l: What do you know of our company? r: i have researched your company and am aware of the expansion and reputation of excellence it has in the engineering industry. l: can you email me your résumé this week? r: Yes, i do have a current résumé and would be pleased to email that to you together with my cover letter. Skillmax reSource guide 2012 11 UNIT 5: TELEPHONE SKILLS Activity 2 Role plAY in pairs cold call a company and speak to the hR or department manager. include the following: ■ an introduction ■ The purpose of the call ■ relevant questions ■ appropriate responses ■ Sustained conversation ■ Polite and confident tone of voice ■ appropriate pausing, stress and intonation ■ a statement for follow-up action discuss feedback with your partner. Reverse the role play and follow the same instructions with your class partner. debrief to the class. include in your discussion pros and cons associated with cold calling. 12 Skillmax reSource guide 2012 SKILLMAX Activity 3 case study 3 Read the case study below and discuss. the caller is lakshmi Rajan and she is cold calling a medium-sized accountancy company. the person she is calling is Janet bridges, the hR manager. company: peterson and Jacobs pty ltd location: north Sydney position: Accountant Goal: to find out about current job opportunities company contact: good morning Peterson and Jacobs, this is Janet speaking. How can i help you? lakshmi: good morning Janet my name is lakshmi rajan and i am ringing to inquire about available positions within your company. i am a qualified accountant with eight years experience. Janet: i see… no we do not have any current vacancies in the business, in fact we are downsizing our accountancy department and won’t be recruiting for some time. lakshmi: oh i see… so there aren’t any prospects coming up in the next few months? Janet: No i am afraid not. i am sorry i cannot help you. good luck with your jobseeking. lakshmi: i understand. ….Thank you for your time. Janet: That’s fine, goodbye. lakshmi: goodbye. Answer the following questions and discuss as a class. 1. Was lakshmi well prepared during the telephone call? 2. What other questions could lakshmi have asked? 3. did she achieve her goal? 4. Suggest other strategies that she could have used. Skillmax reSource guide 2012 13 UNIT 5: TELEPHONE SKILLS case study 4 Read the case study below and then complete the checklist. the caller is michael Ang and he is cold calling Jacobs and Stevens pty ltd. company name: Jacobs and Stevens pty ltd location: Sydney cbd position: Accountant person: John Wells Goal: to find out about current job vacancies in the accountancy department company contact: good morning Jacobs and Stevens, this is linda speaking. michael: good morning my name is michael ang and i would like to speak to your Financial controller, i believe that is John Wells? linda: Yes it is… What is it in regards to? michael: i’m a qualified accountant for over ten years and i would like to discuss employment opportunities with him. linda: ok… i’ll have to check if he is available. michael: Thank you i would appreciate that. John: This is John Wells how can i help you? michael: Hello John my name is michael ang and i’m a qualified cPa certified accountant. my neighbour Peter Stanley works in your company in the iT department and he suggested i should ring you to discuss any employment opportunities. John: i see… right well we actually don’t have any vacancies at the moment. michael: i understand… may i ask John when you would be recruiting? Where do you advertise your positions? John: i could be advertising in one month’s time for a six-month contract… it will be advertised on careerone.com… would a contract role interest you? michael: Yes thank you that sounds very interesting. i’m flexible for either full-time or contract work. i have experience in maintaining company accounting, records and preparing and analysing financial budgets. are they the type of qualifications you would be looking for? 14 Skillmax reSource guide 2012 SKILLMAX John: Yes actually, we are needing someone who has worked on large-scale projects. michael: in my last role in Singapore i worked for a construction company managing the capital for a large project, it was a million dollar commercial shopping centre with multi-storey carpark. We managed the budget and met the timeframes allocated to our department. John: That sounds interesting. michael: could i suggest that i send you my résumé by email so you can see my work history and range of qualifications. John: Yes you could do that. Send it to john@jacobstevens.com.au. michael: Thank you i’ll send it today and follow up with you next week to check you have received it and briefly discuss the contract opportunity that you mentioned. John: Fine, do that. michael: Yes thank you and i appreciate your time and information. John: No problem, i look forward to seeing your résumé. goodbye michael. michael: Thank you again and goodbye. Skillmax reSource guide 2012 15 UNIT 5: TELEPHONE SKILLS A nalysis o f the co ld call Yes n o 1. Po lite g reeting and intro d uctio n 2. Sp o ke to the ap p ro p riate p erso n 3. Pro vid ed clear p urp o se fo r call 4. o vercam e any d ifficulties 5. Self-m arketed effectively 6. a chieved g o al 7. Pro vid ed fo llo w -up actio n 8. a p p ro p riate end to the p ho ne call c o ld call checklist 16 Skillmax reSource guide 2012 SKILLMAX Activity 4 Work in pairs. Select one telephone role play. discuss. Recruitment agency call a recruitment agent to introduce yourself and request information regarding positions and possible vacancies in your field of work. prospecting a company Telephone a company in which you have an interest in applying for a position. You are cold calling this company and do not have any contacts within the organisation. Referral phone call You have been given a contact name in a company from a friend. Telephone the company and introduce yourself and make general enquiries about future job prospects. Job advertisement You have found a suitable position on seek.com. download the application details and contact the person on the application form. You are therefore ringing them in response to the job they have advertised. professional association You have researched a professional association and are calling the association for information regarding job opportunities or for contacts in your industry. Skillmax reSource guide 2012 17 UNIT 5: TELEPHONE SKILLS the telephone interview 1. Your résumé 2. company information 3. Questions to ask 4. Answers to questions 5. pen, notepaper and diary Screening call. When a potential employer calls, you will be screened while you are being interviewed. Your main aim is to convert the telephone interview into a face-to-face interview and at the same time express your enthusiasm and interst in the position. Your answers must be aligned with your résumé and covering letter. That is why practising for a phone interview is an essential step in your job preparation. make sure that your confidence and personality come across, if not it will be unlikely that the potential employer or recruitment agent will consider you for an interview. Speak clearly and remain professional at all times. When the employer calls you, be prepared with the following documents: 18 Skillmax reSource guide 2012 SKILLMAX Activity 5 Read the article below Interview tips: Winning the phone interview reprinted from careerone.com.au. kate Southam is the editor of careerone.com.au. to view articles on the careerone site, use the news & Advice tab at the top of the www.careerone.com.au home page. 1. underline all of the key points. 2. using your current résumé, practise a telephone interview with your partner. 3. Record your interview and discuss how you use your voice, your tone and enthusisam. 4. incorporate all of the tips listed in the article. 5. discuss with the class. interview tips: Winning the phone interview – by kate Southam Phone interviews are a common way to pre-screen candidates for face-to-face interviews. With so much at stake, it’s important to make a good impression. in fact, every time you deal with a potential employer or a recruitment consultant over the phone, consider you are being interviewed. remember, the recruitment consultant is the gatekeeper you have to get by if you are to be considered by the employer. also practise your best phone manners when dealing with reception staff and personal assistants. use these interview tips to help you shine over the phone. 1. Prepare for the interview in the same way you would for a face-to-face interview. know your résumé inside out and prepare answers for common questions like, What is your greatest weakness/strength? For tips on answering the weakness/strength question go to the Job hunting advice section of www.careerone.com.au. 2. rehearse and rehearse again. This is the best technique for assessing how well you know your career history, calming nerves, untwisting tongues and building confidence. ideally, rehearse with someone from the same industry but if that’s not possible, a friend or family member would be fine. You’ll need to provide the questions as you know your role and industry. do a couple of rehearsals in person and a couple using a phone. Your rehearsal partner will tell you if you are stumbling over words or sounding nervous. Skillmax reSource guide 2012 19 UNIT 5: TELEPHONE SKILLS 3. on the day, make sure you have a quiet place to do the interview. Warn family members not to interrupt and keep animals out of the room. make sure nothing is on – radio or mobile phone. if you have call waiting, see if you can have it disabled. 4. make sure you get the interviewer’s name right and then use it several times. 5. don’t answer with just a yes and no but do keep your answers concise. Smiling while talking will project a positive image to the listener and will change the tone of your voice. Speak slowly and enunciate clearly. Stand and pace if it will help you breath and project your voice. 6. dress the part so you feel professional – and sound it too. 7. Tape notes in big writing to the walls. i know a senior executive who did this and it worked. also, stick your résumé up where you can see it. 8. remember that the interviewer cannot see you. if you get a question you want to think about, don’t panic but state that, eg: That’s a good question. I’m going to take a moment so I can provide you with an accurate answer. 9. keep a pen and paper handy to take notes that will help you ask good questions about the employer and role. 10. obviously you will not smoke, chew gum or eat during the interview but it’s a good idea to have water on hand. if you get a dry mouth, it’s fine to say: Excuse me while I take a sip of water. 11. don’t interrupt the interviewer. 12. ask questions that show your interest in the company rather than yourself. asking whether the team you would be joining is currently tackling any big projects would be better than: How much would I earn? 13. at the end of the interview, thank the interviewer for his or her time and say you hope to meet them in person. ask about the next steps in the recruitment process including the timeline. 14. Follow up with a thank-you note or email. 20 Skillmax reSource guide 2012 SKILLMAX Activity 6 there are many variations to the questions below. Research and network with your professional contacts and friends to develop a comprehensive list of questions. Share the list with your class. fReQuentlY ASked inteRvieW QueStionS 1. Tell me about your duties and responsibilities in your current job or in your most recent job (in your country). 2. describe a project you currently completed. What were the highlights? 3. Why do you want to leave your current job? 4. describe the kind of work environment that you would like to work in? 5. How much do you know about the position you have applied for? 6. How much do you know about the company? 7. 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You have been invited to a career development workshop to present a session on the topic: What to expect at a telephone interview. WhAt A