Most people screen their phone calls and often avoid answering unknown numbers. If you’re applying for new positions, you should try to view each unexpected call as an exciting opportunity! In the event that you simply can’t pick up the phone, you’ll want a polished voicemail greeting to let the caller know they’ve reached the right person.
For those with voicemail greetings that get changed about as often as a new president is elected, know that this is doing a serious disservice to the caller-recipient relationship. It signals to callers that the business is anything but an authority, most likely not very detail oriented, and has questionable overall credibility and competency.

General Voicemail Greeting Examples. Here are a few ideas for greetings that can get you started, ranging from strictly businesslike to a less formal greeting. Hello, you have reached Jim Smith. Unfortunately, I cannot take your call right now, but I would like to return it as soon as I can.
Create a clear, concise outgoing message for your answering machine. Tell the caller exactly what information you expect so you can easily return the call. For example, you could say, “Please leave your name, number, and the time you called.”