First, there was the smooth, sexy music in the background followed by...."Hey, ladies. I'm back on the market. Holla.” 

 I am almost certain this candidate never intended for a prospective employer to be on the receiving end of that greeting. Undoubtedly this was done to amuse his buddies and, perhaps, annoy the ex-girlfriend who just might call and realize he's moved on.  Regardless of what his greeting said, the message I got was that this candidate was not serious about his job search or projecting a professional image.  

Reaching an actual person is in the age of caller ID and voice mail is rare.   In fact, more often than not, recruiters encounter voice mail just as often as the jobseekers.  So getting an answering machine isn’t the issue- It’s the greeting itself that can turn a great candidate into a thanks-but-no-thanks candidate.

Sadly, this type of casual, trying-to-be-clever voicemail greeting is all too common.  And let’s be honest, who amongst us hasn’t crafted the occasional zany voicemail greeting to amuse our friends and family?  When it comes to the job search though folks, it is still best to keep it short and simple.  “This is Mary Jane.  I’m unable to take your call.  Please leave a message and I’ll call you back.”