Canvassing Potential Employers

Sometimes job openings and opportunities can be found by canvassing or cold calling specific employers as to whether a position exists or not. Even if a job opening is not advertised or does not exist at that time, the employer could create a position or consider you for the first one that becomes available.

Develop Your Cold Call List

Develop a list of employers you want to contact. Do not waste time on employers who do not need the skills and abilities you have to offer. Be selective in deciding which employers you will approach.

Start your list with:

Your past employers.

Employers who offer on-the-job training if you do not have a lot of experience.

Companies that are building and expanding, and may need workers.

Employers that people in your network have recommended.

Tips for Contacting Employers

You can identify potential employers by utilizing resources such as the Yellow Pages, business, industrial, and service directories, or the Chamber of Commerce.

Try to see the employer in person. Research indicates that 80% of employment is a result of direct contacts.

Always try to find out who has the final responsibility for hiring and get in touch with that person.

If seeing the employer in-person is impossible, then send a cover letter and your resume. Use the telephone, e-mail or fax to follow-up.

Be prepared to answer any questions the employer might ask.

Make sure you record all information an employer provides you with. This helps to organize your job search and makes follow-up easier.

Telephone Cold Calling

The following telephone cold calling scripts are only a guide. You will need to change the wording to fit your communication style. It helps to have a written script in front of you when making phone calls to potential employers.

Hello (Good Morning/Afternoon), my name is _____________________.
I’m doing some employment research on ____________________ (field of work) positions in the area, and was wondering if you could tell me who is in charge of hiring for such positions in your company.

If you are not speaking with the person who would do the hiring then ask for the following:

Who am I speaking with?

What is the hiring person’s job title and correct spelling of their name.

How is it best to reach ____________.

Thank you, ___________________ (person’s name). You’ve been a great help and I appreciate your time. Goodbye.

Now you have contact name(s) to address and mention in a cover letter or a follow-up phone call.

When you reach the person in charge of hiring,then ask for the following information:

Hello __________________ (name of person with Mr./Mrs./Ms.). My name is _________________ (your name). I was speaking with _________________ (contact from your initial call) who told me you might be able to help me with my research of positions in the area. Would you have a few minutes to meet with me to discuss the information I have gathered about ______________ (field of work you are trying to attain).

If the person who hires doesn't want to do this over the phone, or says they don’t have time, try to arrange a telephone or in-person meeting at a more convenient time.

The information you want to talk about with the person are notes you have made about job descriptions for positions in the field, and your resume. Ask this person for their opinion as to whether your information accurately reflects jobs available in the field, and your resume indicates you are qualified for this type of work.

If you have received positive feedback, then ask if they have any current or near future positions available. If no, then ask if you may leave your resume for consideration should their staffing needs change.

Once your job search has ended and you find a job, there are things you can do to make your working life successful.

Communication skills
Working well with others requires effective communication skills, which can be learned on the job. Listening well to what is being said and asking for clarification when necessary are two particularly important skills in the workplace.

People skills
Good people skills are essential in the workplace and take time to develop. Here are a few pointers to get you started:

Practise patience. In the workplace, you often have to depend on others to get the job done, just as others may have to rely on you. The modern workplace relies on teamwork, so you need to stay calm under pressure and respect your co-workers.

Learn to accept criticism. When your supervisor hands something back to you for corrections, or suggests a different way of doing something, don't get upset; constructive criticism is part of the learning process.

Give others space to do their jobs. Ask questions if you need to, but learn to trust in your own ability to make decisions. When first training for a job, everyone will understand if you have questions about how to do things. After you settle in, try to solve problems on your own before going to your boss. That will show the employer and the other employees that you have the resources and initiative to find things out for yourself.

Forgive the mistakes of others as well as your own. Everyone has days when things don't go the right way. Being able to forgive yourself and others when mistakes are made will make you a better team member.

Learning styles
When you start a new job, there is a lot to learn about the organization, your employer, other employees and your position. That’s why it’s important to know how you learn best. For example:

Are you more likely to turn a computer on and start playing with it, or would you read the manual first?
Do you learn best by hearing about tasks, reading about tasks or performing tasks?

Let your employer know how you learn best and ask for what you need if necessary. It’s also important to look at how you can add different techniques to your learning style, like slowing down before jumping into a task or asking someone to show you how best to perform a task.

The power of knowledge
Knowledge gives you more choices. The more you learn, the more valuable you become to employers. You may be able to apply for higher positions within your organization or to transfer into another job with more responsibility.

Return to Resources

Canvassing Potential Employers

Start your list with:

Telephone Cold Calling

If you are not speaking with the person who would do the hiring then ask for the following:

When you reach the person in charge of hiring,then ask for the following information: