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Why a Good Contact Number is Required in Your Resume

Announcement posted by Resume Rescue 26 Apr 2012

Who will answer the phone when your potential employer calls using the contact number you provided?

What contact phone numbers do you have listed on your resume or job application forms for the prospective employers to call you on?

Are you contactable?

And when your prospective employer calls who will be answering the call?

This is something that you need to consider before you submit your job application, resume or expression of interest, so it doesn’t end up as either an embarrassing moment or an awkward situation in your current workplace.

Knowing what numbers to list in a resume is as equally as important as knowing what to write in a resume. Don’t let all your efforts in resume writing go to waste by including a poor choice of phone number.

It’s always important to ensure you are able to be easily contacted by your potential employer, and many of us list all our numbers in hope that at least you will be available at least on one of them when they call, including a current work number.

However be warned this could work against you, let me explain how.

If you list a work number where another colleague could potentially answer the call, or where you can be overheard when taking the call and you haven’t made it public that you’re looking for another job; it could make things very uncomfortable for you whilst you are still employed at your current workplace.

Have you left a landline number that gets directed to an answering machine or message bank that others have access to, such in a share house, university or at home? As this could mean you never get the message.

Have you left the landline number of your home, where you live with your lovely, elderly grandmother who is hard of hearing or suffers from Alzheimer’s? If you’re lucky you might get the message, however it may not be correct.

Imagine how shattered you would be to find out afterwards that you had got an interview however. you were not contactable and you were withdrawn from the process.

Resume Rescues tips for listing phone numbers in your resume

You must ensure you are easily contactable and if you’re not, provide the opportunity for the potential employer to leave a secure message that you know you will receive and that won’t result in any bridges being burnt with a current employer.

When listing your phone numbers in your resume, ensure you include the area code, and list each number in the order you prefer them to call i.e. if you are always available on your mobile number, list this first as your default contact number then you home number next.

A little bit of preparation and thought about what numbers you provide can reduce your exposure for any mishaps or uncomfortable situations.