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Making Contact
Many schools ask you to make contact with your placement to arrange an interview. At the interview you will be able to discuss all of the details of your work experience. Here are some tips about how to telephone to arrange the interview.
Preparing for the Telephone Call Making a good telephone call is all about preparation. Being prepared will give you confidence.
- 1. Complete First Contact - Telephone (p7 Student Diary) and have this information with you when you make the call.
- 2. Find somewhere quiet to make the call if you can.
- 3. Have a pen and paper handy to make notes.
- 4. Make sure you have plenty of change if you are calling from a pay phone or enough credit on your mobile.
- 5. Speak slowly and clearly using your script.
A Sample Call This simple script may give you some idea about the questions you could be asked and how to reply.
- 1. You dial the number for the company and someone answers. They often give the name of the company and say something like, "How can I help you?"
- 2. You could reply; "Hello, may I speak to ... (your contact)."
- 3. They may ask you to say who you are and why you are calling.
- 4. You could say; "I am (your name) from (your school). I am calling to confirm arrangements for my work experience on (date you start)."
- 5. The person who answers the phone may then transfer your call to the person you asked for. When they answer, you could repeat step 4.
Arranging the Interview There are a number of key pieces of information you need to collect during your call. So make sure you ask the following.
- 1. The date of the interview
- 2. The time of the interview
What if you can't get through?
Try again! If the person you want is not available, either leave a message or ask when it would be convenient to phone them. If the person you ask for no longer works for the company, ask to speak to the person who is now in charge of work experience. If you cannot contact anyone, let your school work experience co-ordinator or form tutor know at once.
Remember to be polite, patient and business-like. You will get there in the end!