Author Topic: Locations and Area Codes  (Read 12457 times)

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maryreading

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Locations and Area Codes
« on: Jul 18, 2009, 04:30 am »
(I hope this is the right place to put this.)

Here's the situation: I just received a GoogleVoice invitation. This will allow me to chose a phone number for myself that can forward any calls to any phone that I choose. I am a stage manager and house manager currently in graduate school in North Carolina for performing arts management. I would like to choose a phone number with the best possible area code to go on resumes and business cards when I get out of grad school and go back to professional work. I have no idea where I'm going to end up but I would prefer to end up in one of the large hubs like Chicago, New York or LA. Which city's area code do I choose?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
I love the theatre because there are so many intelligent people wasting so much effort on silly details.
- John Lee Beatty

MatthewShiner

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Re: Locations and Area Codes
« Reply #1 on: Jul 18, 2009, 03:06 pm »
You know, I stressed about this as a young stage manager as well . . . and to be honest, I don't think it matters.  If you want to establish yourself as a SM in NYC . . . you can get a NYC area code, but to be honest . . . people now keep cell phone numbers for so long, the stigma of having an out-of-state area code doesn't matter.  (And now, with cell phones, just because you have a 212 area code doesn't really mean you are in NYC).  My partner has lived in DC for five years, and refuses to give up his Dallas number.

I do have a toll-free number from my freelance days - allows actors to call from any phone without a charge . . . and that's on my resume, but otherwise my local cell phone number is there.

I also have a 212 voice mail, that helps me establish a NYC presence, but to be honest, it hasn't really helped me at all. 



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Anything posted here as in my own personal opinion, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of my employer - whomever they be at a given moment in time.

KMC

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Re: Locations and Area Codes
« Reply #2 on: Jul 18, 2009, 03:31 pm »
I would say there a lot more important things to focus you're energy on when entering (or in your case re-entering) the workforce.  Experience, networking, resume, etc... 

When you sit and think about it, a phone number is a pretty ridiculous reason to hire or not hire someone.
Get action. Do things; be sane; don’t fritter away your time; create, act, take a place wherever you are and be somebody; get action. -T. Roosevelt

Scott (formerly Digga)

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Re: Locations and Area Codes
« Reply #3 on: Jul 18, 2009, 09:39 pm »
Most of the NYC area codes are probably unavailable - that's why they keep adding area codes to NYC.  They now have 212, 718, 917, 646, and 347 - if you want a NYC number chances are 646 or 347 are your only options.

But I too feel that the area code is not nearly as important as it may have been 10-15 years ago.  Everyone has a cell phone and I think you'll be hard pressed to find someone without free long distance on their cell phone or land-line.

megf

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Re: Locations and Area Codes
« Reply #4 on: Jul 19, 2009, 09:34 am »
Like kmc said, I think there are more important things to focus your energy on when you're establishing a professional presence.

I have found, actually, that using an out-of-state area code can offer a great jumping-off point in interviews - you never know when someone will recognize a distant city or town, based on the cell phone you've put on your resume. One person I interviewed with had actually lived down the block from me years ago, and we had a wonderful time talking about our old neighborhood!

offbrwystgmgr

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Re: Locations and Area Codes
« Reply #5 on: Jul 19, 2009, 10:58 am »
 :-\ Truthfully in my experience I have not noticed a difference at all as to Area Code. As previously said, having a NYC code doesn't mean you are from New York.

bethanyb5

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Re: Locations and Area Codes
« Reply #6 on: Jul 19, 2009, 12:12 pm »
I have lived in NYC for 5 and 1/2 years and I still have a Maine cell number. I kept it because it's local for my parents to call me. And on several occasions it has been a conversation starter in interviews with "where are you from?" and so on.
I have a friend that is a Hair Stylist and has worked on Phantom, Law and Order, and Lip Stick Jungle just to name a few and she still has and upstate cell number and it hasn't stopped her from getting work. It really doesn't matter what your number is anymore. People know that your cell phone is with you no matter what the area code is. I think that if you also have a number that you've had for a long while it shows people that you aren't going to change your number the minute you move somewhere and they'll loose contact with you.

JDL

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Re: Locations and Area Codes
« Reply #7 on: Jul 26, 2009, 03:24 pm »
As long as daddy keeps paying the phone bill, JDLynch will be keeping his 214 -area code. 8 years and counting!... Thanks, dad!  :D
I've thought about this, but like everyone else, who really cares? Someday I will change to be more marketable (I suppose) and available for my actors, such as getting a toll-free number which is a great idea, but until the need is there I don't see changing my number. If the employer is that concerned with my phone number to the point where it is the deciding factor on employment, I don't think I want to work for them.
AlL tHe WoRlD's A sTaGe... AnD i'M oFf BoOk!

MandalynM

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Re: Locations and Area Codes
« Reply #8 on: Feb 17, 2014, 03:34 pm »
This topic has just come up in my portfolio and resume class at school. I hold firm to my phone number that Ive had for 10 years. Being as my "brand" is educational theatre I feel that my Ohio phone number represents who I am. I am a midwestern girl born and raised and I feel that changing my number to a city I haven't been to seems outrageous. This thread is a bit older, but I searched and wanted to see if anyone has encountered this recently. I really don't see myself changing my phone number.

Mandi

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Re: Locations and Area Codes
« Reply #9 on: Feb 17, 2014, 06:15 pm »
Again, I think that that the area code is pretty meaningless now a days - as people port their numbers all the time . . .

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Anything posted here as in my own personal opinion, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of my employer - whomever they be at a given moment in time.

MandalynM

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Re: Locations and Area Codes
« Reply #10 on: Feb 18, 2014, 08:37 am »
Do you suggest having a business line through Google Voice? Do you use your personal cell for everything?

Dart

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Re: Locations and Area Codes
« Reply #11 on: Feb 18, 2014, 11:54 pm »
I've had a Google number for a couple years now, and I love it. It's also easy to remember (area code - 3 digits - my name). I got a DC area code not because of DC, but because it was one of the few I could get with my name.

This isn't necessarily "number" advice, but definitely Google Voice advice: Be aware of people's numbers through voice and through your regular number.

What does that mean? Well. The way voice works with your phone, is that if your boss texts you, and their number is 123-456-7890, that's not the number you'll get. You'll get a random number with no current owner. Let's say 333-333-3333. Nope, they won't even share the area code. That's google's way of letting you call that number back from your phone and it showing up as from your google number. This random number is different for everyone, but only works from your phone. So if I, with a different google number, call that 333-333-3333, it will call a different one of my contacts.

Why this is good: You can call anyone back when you're out of a WiFi zone without eating into your data plan.
Why this is bad: You'll get calls from numbers you don't recognize, and if you forget to call their random number, they won't recognize your number either.

So I have at least two numbers for every professional contact on my phone - 1) their regular number, which I can call through the app, and I have labeled "mobile." 2) their "random" number, which I can call from my phone, which I have labeled "work fax."

It took me a couple of months to really get a grasp of it and not confuse the numbers - and I still have to tell people to text my "regular" number sometimes because I can't send or receive images or other media files through Google. But when you get used to it, I definitely think a Google number is an advantage - you can get calls and texts on your computer and across devices, so you can stay on top of actor ETAs and designer concerns in rehearsal without being on your phone. If your phone dies or is stolen (I actually got mugged halfway through a run once, and this was a godsend), you can still get a hold of your people from any computer. And if you ever want to stop someone from contacting you, you can just tell Google to block that number. I feel a lot more comfortable plastering my Google number all over emails and resumes and documents now, knowing that I don't have to worry about who has access to those documents.

MandalynM

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Re: Locations and Area Codes
« Reply #12 on: Feb 19, 2014, 08:46 am »
I appreciate you breaking that down for me Dart, I'm going to do some research about google voice and see how it will work for me. I think I'd feel much better not plastering my personal cell around the world as well. I have a bad habit of not saving people's numbers in my phone and I imagine the google voice process could very well break that habit. Thanks again for the specific information! It helps a lot.

Mandi

BARussell

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Re: Locations and Area Codes
« Reply #13 on: Feb 21, 2014, 03:08 pm »
Your google voice number is also really great for situations when you know you are about to be spammed. Like I am currently shopping loans and they require you to put in a number but this way I dont get the calls coming in all day, they go to voice which I am less protective about, and it is a lot quicker and easier to delete messages , etc.
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