Emma The phone number on the resume is of fundamental importance for a variety of reasons that we will see below. For this reason, it should always be included in the first part of the CV, together with your personal information, to allow the recruiter to have easy access to this data in case of need. But which phone number should I add on the CV? And isn’t the candidate’s privacy violated if you add this information?
The number phone number on the CV is it mandatory?
It is not mandatory to enter the telephone number on the CV, but it is absolutely necessary to do so because, like other necessary information (email address and name), it allows recruiters to get in touch with you in case they want to deepen your knowledge. After all, if you are applying for a job, the first thing you need to do is make sure you can be traced by those who opened that particular job. Today it is not difficult for the first contact after sending a CV to be via email, but the telephone is still the primary element for a first screening, the one that allows recruiters to better understand the person in front of them. Therefore, the telephone number must not be put on the CV, but it is essential to do so.
Just a phone number on the CV, but which one?
To make sure that your CV is complete but at the same time essential and short while providing all the necessary information, it is good to select what to add and what to avoid. In the case of the telephone number, which one is better to enter?
Definitely the mobile number since it is the only one that allows you to be traceable at any time and almost anywhere in the world and at any time. If you decide to enter your landline number, you must be 100% sure that you will be available at that number at least during working hours, otherwise you may miss out on useful opportunities.
Never enter your current workplace number, even if you have access to a private number, and never enter your company mobile number, to avoid violating non-competition and compliance rules.
International prefix: yes or no?
Although it seems more professional to do so, it is not necessary to indicate the country code in front of your phone number if you are applying for a position in Italy : this is because the recruiter will not need any special means to call you, and because he will realize that you are located in Italy from other data that you have entered on your CV (for example your residence or address) or from the fact that you do not have stated that you live elsewhere.
On the contrary, if you are looking for work abroad, but you do it from Italy, you must specify the international prefix followed by your telephone number following this scheme:
+ 39-xxx-xxxxxxx (where +39 is the international prefix Italy, and the second part is the full phone number).
Don’t forget to indicate the country code in front of your telephone number if you are applying for a position abroad.
Verify that the number is working
Too often we forget, when filling out a CV, to verify that your contact information is up to date and working. In the case of the telephone number it is good to check that it is written correctly on the CV in order to avoid that the employer is unable to call you if he is interested in your figure.
Remember that company recruiters don’t have time and if you misspelled your phone number, no one will bother to find you in any other way to offer you an interview (and often the email is not considered as a first working approach!). It is not uncommon to miss opportunities because your contact information is incorrect, so our advice is to check the phone number well (and in general to do a complete check of the CV before sending it!) And where possible, before saving the CV and send it, to test its operation.
The answering machine to avoid unpleasant inconveniences
It is not certain that, even if you have entered a telephone number that works 24 hours a day, you are always available. It is for this reason that, if you are looking for a job, it is advisable to set the answering machine also on your mobile phone so as not to miss a single call. In fact, it may happen that we are on the subway where the mobile phone may not take, or that we are engaged in another call or that due to network problems our mobile phone has no range: the answering machine allows the caller to leave a message and for the recipient to call the sender back or to be notified of the missed call.
Set a professional and short message on your answering machine, something like:
“Hello, here NAMEOGNAME, thanks for contacting me. I’m not available at the moment, but you can leave me a message, and I’ll call you back as soon as possible”.
Other useful precautions after sending the curriculum
In addition to checking that the number is working and activating the answering machine, there are other small precautions to follow and that will allow you to avoid losing phone calls from a potential employer to whom you have sent your resume. Among these:
- Never put the phone in silent mode, during working hours (9-18 / 19);
- Never put the phone in vibrate mode, during working hours (9-18 / 19);
- Never leave the phone away from you, to avoid not hearing it and therefore losing calls.
In the event that you find a missed call on your mobile phone, for any reason, from a recruiter, remember to call back as soon as possible, apologizing for not having answered and renewing your availability for an interview.
Mentally Prepare for a Phone Interview
Once you’ve entered your phone number on your resume and submitted your resume for the position you hope to get, you should expect to receive a call at any moment. This means that you have to mentally prepare for a telephone interview when you least expect it. Make sure you are ready to answer any questions you may receive and remember what you wrote on your CV, to avoid being caught off guard and missing out on good opportunities.
In summary
The phone number is essential information to add to your CV, because it allows a recruiter to find you in case they consider your professionalism and experience important for a particular position. For this you must provide a number at which you are always available, better therefore a mobile phone, and make sure to answer calls, if this is not possible, activate the answering machine. Remember that a call for a job can come at any time so mentally prepare for an interview when you least expect it.