PHONE
INTERVIEW
If you have sent your resume to a company, you get a phone call
from the recruiter ... what can you do to best prepare yourself
to shine right now? Knowing how to phone interview well is just
as (if not more) important than knowing how to interview in
person. If you do not impress them on the phone, you probably
will not get that chance to "wow" them in person.
Here are some phone interview tips I hope you find helpful:
1) EXPECT a telephone interview. When you don't
expect it, you are caught unprepared and thus at a loss for
making a good impression.
2) Feel OK to reschedule. If you receive a call
from a recruiter that comes in the middle of a meeting or dinner
at home, ask to reschedule and provide a couple times that work
for you instead. Recruiters understand will be happy to reschedule
which enables you to feel prepped and focused for your phone
interview.
3) Be prepared. You wouldn't go into a traditional
interview without rehearsing first, so don't start a telephone
interview unprepared. Have your job search organization folder
near to hand so you can refer to it if you need to. Where to
do quick research? Check out the company's internet site...it
will be full of valuable company information, press releases,
etc.
4) Find a quiet, private place. Go to a quiet
room at the house or seclude yourself in a conference room where
it is quiet when it is time for the interview. Plan for up to
an hour for the interview.
5) Smile. It carries through in your voice.
6) Stand up. By standing up, more enthusiasm and
energy is infused into your voice and you come across as a more
vital candidate.
7) Watch your language. Many job seekers get the
impression that a telephone interview is not a "real" interview
and get casual in their language (even to the point of using
profanity). A telephone interview is a real interview and you
should speak as if you were face to face with the interviewer.
8) Get the interviewer's contact info. Remember
to ask the interviewer's name (and how it is spelled), address,
E-mail and telephone number in order to be able to follow up
with a thank you note and know how to reach him/her.
9) Take your time. Job seekers often feel rushed
to answer, especially on the telephone. Take your time and think
about your answers. When asked a tough question, a good technique
is repeat the question back to the interviewer which shows you
are listening closely and also buys you time to formulate an
answer.
10) Be brief in your answers. One thing recruiters
and employers look for is someone who answers the question briefly
(without rambling). If they want to get more information about
a project...they will ask. Sometimes the recruiter just has
a checklist of experiences and skills they need to see and may
not need to know more info on each.
11) Be organized. If they ask you how you tackle
certain problems or how you put together a marketing campaign...they
want to see you have a methodology (1st, 2nd,....) and not just
"shooting from the hip".
12) Ask questions. Find out about the position,
the company and the process of hiring (what is the next step?).
Ask why the employee likes the company (or why the recruiter
enjoys recruiting for them) and how long they have worked at
the company (or their success in recruiting past candidates
for them). If you did well and will be talking with someone
else next (phone or in person)...ask about what they are like
and the kind of questions you can expect.
