Job hunting tips – making a good first impression

Now that school’s over and the new year is here, it’s the perfect time to update your resume and send off job applications. Here are our tips for making a good first impression to your potential new employer.

Update your voicemail

Do you have a joke message on your voicemail? You and your friends might find it funny, but would a prospective employer?

Remember that first impressions are very important and you only get one chance to make them! If you do happen to miss a call from someone wanting to interview you, your voicemail message will be the first impression they have of you.

Think about your current voicemail message and whether it needs to be changed to something more professional when you’re job hunting.

Check your email address

Just like your voicemail, having a joke or crude email address might have seemed like a good idea at the time you set it up, but what impression will it give an employer?

It’s a good idea to create an email account with a plain and simple address such as your.name@provider.com when you’re job hunting.

Don’t forget social media!

What is the first thing people see on your Facebook, Twitter or Instagram account? You may be surprised to learn that many employers will look at your social media pages before they even decide whether to contact you or not.

Having inappropriate content might mean an employer takes you off their shortlist. Have a look at what is on your social media pages and think about what you post when you’re job hunting. At the very least check your settings to secure the content you don’t want everybody to see – especially your new boss!