When applying for jobs and internship opportunities, it is not only important to have a professional resume, cover letter and email address, but also an excellent telephone manner.

In a highly competitive graduate market even something like an unprofessional voicemail message could mean the difference between you getting selected for an internship opportunity or being rejected. There is no point in having an amazing interview and following up with a thank-you email to only let yourself down with an unprofessional sounding voicemail.

Your voicemail is important. This is probably one of the first things that will give your Placement Consultant and/or employer their first impression of you. As such, it is essential that you make sure your voicemail message is as professional as possible. When going through the application and interview process you should avoid these situations:

1) Unprofessional voicemail

Whether you are trying to be funny or want your friends to know your favourite song, chances are your Placement Consultant or Hiring Manager will not be impressed by an unprofessional voicemail. You should ensure that you record a professional voicemail message (with no background noise) such as, “Hi, you’ve reached [say your full name]. I’m sorry I missed your call. Please leave your name, number and a brief message after the tone and I will call you back as soon as possible.”

2)  No voicemail or a full mailbox voicemail

As in the situation above, being unable to leave a message can be really frustrating for a Placement Consultant or Hiring Manager who is trying to get in touch with you. You run the risk of not being selected for an opportunity if your consultant/potential employer is unable to leave you a message so ensure you set aside time at least twice a week to clean out your voicemail. You want to be as accessible as possible for potential employers.

3) A short voicemail

I’ve called a few students lately to help with their search and have gotten this message, “We’re sorry. The person you have tried to call isn’t available right now. Please leave a short 10 second message and it will be converted to text. Again, these messages aren’t always converted correctly and you run the risk of missing out on internship opportunities if you do not have a professional voicemail set up.

It is well worth it to have a professional voicemail, and it’s not difficult to set up at all. If you haven’t already got one, take 5 minutes to create it today.