Don't call me, I'll call you. No, seriously, I'll call you. Don't call me.

May 23, 2008 9:10 AM

I'm currently out of work and looking for a new job. I share a cell plan with my family, but thanks to the combination of my having little money coming in and my sister & her boyfriend deciding that text messages are super fun, my phone's been cut off. So now I have dozens of resumes floating around with a bad phone number! How do I let prospective employers know my new number?

It's easy to update Monster.Com, Career Builder, etc, but I've sent out lots of resumes direct. What's the best way to update everyone with a new phone number? I want to appear professional and not overly pushy or like a dead beat who can't pay his bills!

posted by aristan to Work & Money (5 answers total)

I would pay the bill, then transfer your number to a new plan that's not connected to theirs. Unless the bill is tens of thousands of dollars, it's worth it for your job search. There isn't really a good way to get the message out to all of your potential employers, because most of them won't be organized enough to update their files, and you'll miss calls any way you handle it.
posted by decathecting at 9:18 AM on May 23, 2008

I'd use it as an opportunity to follow up and remind everyone that you're still out there. Call your prospective employers to tell them that you've changed your phone number, are still really interested in that job, and that you hope you'll be hearing from them. It's not a quick solution, but it might actually work in your favor.
posted by Thin Lizzy at 9:33 AM on May 23, 2008 [1 favorite]

You can't. Seconding decathecting's advice - get the bill paid off and switch to your own plan.
posted by arnicae at 10:28 AM on May 23, 2008

I like think lizzy's idea, so I'd do both. Pay the bill, transfer the number and maybe grab a 2nd number from grand central to call the employers about...
posted by thilmony at 10:35 AM on May 23, 2008

Response by poster: Thanks for the answers so far, I appreciate you guys taking the time to answer... just a few points:

- I can't afford to pay it off at the moment, as I'm out of work and on an extremely fixed income. I either have the phone or the roof over my head this month. Seeing as I own a compact car... I'm going with shelter.

- And no, the likelihood of anyone else in the family paying it off is slim. I'm the adult in the family.

- I got a grand central number ages ago and wondered what I'd ever need it for. Now I know. I've already updated my resume and am uploading the new ones to the job hunting sites.
posted by aristan at 11:31 AM on May 23, 2008