How to Get a Job by Cold Calling

The idea of calling someone on the phone has rapidly fallen out of favor. We prefer texting or instant messaging to having a phone conversation. Similarly, calling a company to inquire about job openings has gone the way of the Dodo—or has it? While online job searching and networking are the current accepted norms, there are still appropriate reasons and ways to cold call a company to see if they’re hiring. It can be a very effective way to shine through the so many resumes and emails companies receive from job seekers.

Why Cold Call?

The best reason is that you may have a specific company you want to work for. While many companies’ careers pages on their websites offer a place to email a general interest resume, who knows where that goes or who looks at it? It could gather in an inbox with hundreds of others. Cold calling, however, could possibly get you direct contact with a human resources person in charge of hiring or even someone within the relevant department you’re looking for. You may find that they’re not hiring at all or looking for someone in your field, but now you’ve made contact with a person within the company, as opposed to a faceless inbox.

How to Successfully Cold Call

Cold calling may come to easier to some people than others. You must be persistent, but also respectful; persuasive, but real. If you get an HR person, try to get connected to a senior person more directly connected to the position you’re looking for. Think of ways to actually engage in a dialogue with whoever you get on the phone. Simply asking about open positions may not lead to anything. Finding a way to detail your value while expressing your keen interest in the company could grab the other person’s ear more effectively. Consider the logistics of when you’re calling. Calling around noon or towards the end of the day may find you dealing with harried people on the other line. Remember, you are part prospective employee, part salesperson when you cold call. You will have a limited time to make a lasting, positive impression. Here are some other things to keep in mind when calling a company about career opportunities.

No matter your comfort level with cold calling employers, you can vastly increase your chances of success with thorough preparation. Why is this company so attractive to you? What specific, tangible qualities will you bring to them that should make them listen? What’s the market landscape like for your position (and how do you stand out)? How do you fit into the company’s larger vision and long-term goals? Research the company extensively. If you see that they’re hiring other positions, try to explain why your position would also be essential to their growth. Here are some examples “cold emails” that lack preparation and specificity. The same principles might apply to your cold-calling strategies.

The final essential component to cold calling is the follow-up. You may have gotten someone on the phone, and they may have even listened to your pitch—but, will they remember you after you hang up? With the right combination of tact and persistence, call your new contact again within a few days or a week. If you had a substantive conversation with this person initially, this call should be easier but will require equal preparation. Think about what you talked about and how that affects your pitch. Maybe it’s clearer how you fit in with the company’s goals. Create a specific role you would play if hired that immediately adds value to the company based on your previous conversation. If the initial call went nowhere, reintroduce yourself and expand on why the company should be interested in your skill set.

Cold calling isn’t easy, but in an extremely competitive job market, it is an effective way to separate yourself. Hiring managers and department heads are inundated with candidates, both qualified and not, who are interested in a job anywhere. By telling them you are specifically interested in their company, you may find yourself on the fast track to being hired.