I'm in a new job and really don't feel too comfortable with any strangers calling my boss asking about me or anything like that.

Can't I just ask the lady/booker to call the company main line, ask if I work there and if they can transfer them to me, and I'll pick up the phone? From that point we can just talk about the appointment time and place and that'd be that. At this point it's pretty obvious I work there... right? I mean at worse I'd have to also provide an ID when we meet to confirm I really am the person who picked up the phone.

Wouldn't that work?

It is really not like someone calls and asks anything, they simply ask to speak to you, thus confirming you work there

Exactly, me too. I told the screener what to ask for and suggested a few lines should our diligent secretary screen her.  All went very well. Very discrete,

will say it is the dentist office calling to confirm your appointment or something else non-descript

These people are good profesionals, they know what there doing and do it discreetly. They do reverse lookup of the number you provide to verify what company it is then call and simple ask " may I speak with so and so" unless you give them inxtructions on how to ask for you. Only problem you may have, which I did, was my company number is not listed so I had to tell them what to search for on the internet to find our website with phone directory. Other then that it's simple

This is perhaps the most sensitive issue in screening, I've been surprised only once or twice by an over active receptionist who really wants me to leave a message or a client who forgets he is on a conference line but things always worked out fine. Clients who knowingly supply the wrong info for work or their hotel registration deserve a special place in hobbyist purgatory.

Jacklyn Marie