Here are five commonsense rules for using text messaging in a job search.
- People and their messages are not always legit. Scams are increasingly common in recruiting. Do not give up any personal information until you confirm the legitimacy of the inquiry
- Be concise and to the point. Believe it or not, some companies conduct job interviews exclusively using text – no in-person meetings, no voice calls. Zoom? Out of the question! Text only.
- A professional tone is critical with recruiters or employers; texting, with its inherent feel for informality, has tripped up more than a few otherwise promising applicants.
- Do not initiate contact with a recruiter using text. Nor should you use text in your interview follow-up communications. However, if the recruiter uses text to contact you, they expect a text in return.
- The challenge: communicate effectively, check your grammar, spelling, and autocorrect. No emojis. They can be misunderstood.