Phone Interview TipsApril 26th, 2007
Phone interviews can be tough. With the lack of visual communication, you must be able to rely on auditory feedback and be disciplined enough to keep focus. We have compiled this handy guide on phone interview preparation to help ease your fears.
With these interviewing tips, you will be able to face your phone call with confidence!
Phone Interview Preparation and Tips
Preparation
There are two main types of phone interviews - expected and unexpected. In order to be prepared for the unexpected phone call, make sure you have access to proper materials near your phone or desk. Keep a file of “employer research” near by along with a fresh copy of your resume. (Wouldn’t it be great if you could just open up your resume as a web page?) Your resume will allow you to easily answer questions about your past experiences. Company research can help you quickly come up with a few questions for your interviewer. Having access to a notepad and a pen is probably a good bet as well.
For expected interviews, make sure you have a space set aside that is free of distractions. Keep a glass of water nearby in case you need to clear your throat, and of course, make sure to use the restroom before the call. Have a copy of your resume and any research you have done on the employer. Keep a pen and paper on hand.
Remember, phone interviews are just as much of an interview as a traditional meeting. Take a look at our interview guide to help make sure you are properly prepared.
Tips
Know your comfort zone. Some people perform best in a quiet room, while others prefer to pace around. If sitting still is your style, a room free of distractions is best. If you are the type of person that likes to walk-and-talk, consider determining a predefined route. This will help ensure that there are no outside noises or unexpected distractions like sirens. Make sure it is a leisurely walk so you can maintain calm breathing patterns.
Smile. Negativity or a uneasy attitude can easily show itself over a phone call. Before the interview, consider spending a few minutes listening to your favorite song or watching a funny video on YouTube. Make sure you are in a good mood.
Disable call waiting. If for some reason you are not able to disable call waiting, absolutely ignore it if someone calls.
Enforce a dress code. Believe it or not, properly dressing in at least a business casual attire will make a big difference in your ability to focus on the interview. Wearing the right clothes and taking a serious approach to the call will help you maintain a professional attitude regardless of your surroundings.
If you are taking the call on a cell phone, make sure there is no wind in your vicinity. Wind noise will prevent you from hearing the questions and make it harder for them to hear your answers.
No chewing gum, cigarettes, food or other things that may interfere with your vocal chords during the interview.
Listen. Without the visual communication of an in-person interview, it can be tough to know when to stop talking. If your nerves are high and your blood is flowing, you can easily make the mistake of saying too much. Make sure to speak slowly and articulately. When you have answered the question, allow for that possibly uncomfortable moment of silence. This will let the interviewer know that you are through, and then they will proceed. Listen and wait for them to finish with their next question, and then proceed. Consider taking notes on the key aspects of each question.
Stand up. Stretching out your torso will allow you to have the full strength of your lungs. You will be able to speak more clearly and powerfully.
Practice makes perfect. As with all interviews, practicing before hand helps you prepare for common interview questions. Remember to “play in practice as you will in the game.” It will make a huge difference.
If you wear earrings, remove them before the call. Many people tend to adjust the phone’s headset during a call. Chances are that the earrings will rub up against the mic creating an awkward, distracting noise for everyone on the call.
No speaker phone.
Make sure to ask for your interviewers name. Follow up with a thank you note.
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Questions? Comments? Experiences to share? Join the discussion in the comments below!
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“Many people tend to adjust the phone’s headset during a call. Chances are that the earrings will rub up against the mic creating an awkward, distracting noise for everyone on the call.”
Isn’t the mic at the furthest point from your ear, that must be some crazy adjusting.
April 27th, 2007 at 1:26 am
[…] Phone Interview Tips […]
April 28th, 2007 at 2:08 pm
[…] about you - tell us your best phone interview ninja skills in the comments. — Wendy Boswell Phone Interview Tips […]
April 28th, 2007 at 5:09 pm
Do NOT use a cell phone. Whatever it takes, get a landline.
Even if you have to check into a motel - get a landline!
April 28th, 2007 at 5:20 pm
Great stuff here, just a couple of points I would add.
VOCAL PACE & EMPHASIS: Most people speak far too quickly when they are on the phone. Remember the listener has no cues other than your voice to work with. In a face-to-face conversation, that listener would be taking more than 50 per cent of your meaning from facial expressions, gestures, posture, disposition and eye contact. And people take the wrong meaning a lot of the time in face-to-face conversations!
Give your listener a chance and slow it down quite a bit. Again, listen to yourself and get others to do the same. How does your opening pitch sound? Intelligible? Rushed? Overly slick? Are you placing emphasis on the right words? If your delivery is too speedy, not only does it drive down understanding, but your listener may also take the inference that you don’t want to be interrupted and you might start to sound like a fast-talking, snake-oil salesman.
CRAFTING YOUR VERBIAGE: Draft out your thoughts and hone them down. You may not want (or need) to slavishly write out every word that you wish to say, but a few polished phrases on paper will give you a road-map for the call. This will also help you eliminate apologetic or equivocal terms, flowery phrases or insider jargon from your delivery. You should also notate everything that is said in an important call. You may prefer to record it, for the purposes of minuting it afterwards, but don’t let important details slip for the want of a bit of paper and a pencil.
If there are action points arising out of the call, transfer them on to the To-Do list in your diary system and you may need to follow up in writing to the person you were speaking to as a gentle reminder of action agreed or promised.
April 28th, 2007 at 8:17 pm
[…] Phone Interview Tips (tags: interview tips resume phone jobsearch jobs howto job interviews guide employment career articles advice) steve on April 28th, 2007 | Filed under | […]
April 29th, 2007 at 12:23 am
[…] Phone Interview Tips […]
April 29th, 2007 at 7:45 am
Great stuff.
I especially like “Smile” though “making sure you’re in a good mood” is a little harder for some of us than others.
I wrote a similar article about a year ago on my pharmaceutical sales job search site http://pharmboard.com and listed one thing that might help folks “make sure they’re in a good mood” - Some call it prayer; others call it meditation, I call it “centering down”
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3. Center down.
Allow yourself a bit of time (15 minutes or so) before the call to relax. Spend that time breathing deeply, forcing the thoughts of the company, the job and the interview out of your mind. With every exhalation, let the stress that has built up in your neck and shoulders escape. This practice will allow your brain to work free from stress when the phone rings and will set the tone for your breathing during the interview itself.
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http://pharmboard.com/10-keys-to-mastering-the-phone-interview/
Keep up the good work!
April 29th, 2007 at 11:08 am
Here’s an obvious one that a candidate violated last week… Don’t drive during your phone interview!
April 29th, 2007 at 11:10 am
[…] How about you - tell us your best phone interview ninja skills in the comments. — Wendy Boswell Phone Interview Tips […]
April 29th, 2007 at 11:36 am
@llama…
Most phones are plastic and the sound of something rubbing on the earpiece will surely carry through the plastic to the microphone. I’m surprised you’ve never heard this while talking to someone wearing earrings. It’s annoying … very, very annoying.
April 29th, 2007 at 12:30 pm
Make sure that you speak slowly. People intend to speak faster when they are nervous.
April 29th, 2007 at 3:01 pm
[…] Here’s a great article on Emurse about improving your phone interviews. I think that candidates are kind of lazy when it comes to learning about their prospective employers. If people would just follow the tips outlined here, their phone screens will most likely result in an in-person interview. […]
April 30th, 2007 at 2:22 pm
Getting dressed up for a phone interview is an idea I had not thought of…put on a tie, comb your hair - if you got some -
and be ready to
show what a pro you are…
Also, I once did a phone interview on a cell phone….HUGE mistake,
for some reason the connection was bad and I couldn’t hear the
questions…So I kept saying: could you repeat that….I think the
interviewer got frustrated…no job for me, baby.
mike kirner
May 22nd, 2007 at 10:14 am
PETS! Put our dog or cat in another room!
June 10th, 2007 at 10:18 am
Please allow the interviewer to speak without interrupting. Nothing worst than an interviewee who is also a psychic knowin g and blurting out the answers before they are even asked.
June 18th, 2007 at 5:16 pm
I found trough my experience that utilizing a technique to answer questions can really help you stay on track. Here is an example: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/299812/how_to_answer_job_interview_questions.html
I use the CAR - Circumstance, Action, Result, system to answer questions in a clear, concise manner without rambling. This can work for both phone or in-person interviews. Concentrating on answering in a format and not rambling is especially important on the phone as you can get more easily distracted than in a face to face interview.
July 16th, 2007 at 12:19 pm
its stupid on needing to dress for the ‘phone interviews’ I talk just as professional with and without clothing haha, i got this job that i’m currently in now and i was wearing boxers during the call.
July 31st, 2007 at 12:08 pm
[…] Phone Interview Tips (tags: interview tips) […]
August 18th, 2007 at 1:03 pm
[…] How to prepare for a phone interview: Even though you don’t have to see your interviewer face-to-face, you need to prepare. This article can help get you ready for that phone call. […]
September 26th, 2007 at 2:25 pm
If asked by a headhunter/recruiter to come for a personal interview, after an initial phone interview, is it proper to inform the headhunter/recruiter that you prefer to have the personal interview directly with the prospective employer?
This is for the applicant to get more information directly from the employer as the headhunter/recruiter can represent the employer only to a certain extent. Also, this saves the applicant time in going to/from the recruiter/headhunter’s office and then to/from the employer’s place.
I hope to receive the reply soonest.
Thanks.
Albert.
October 1st, 2007 at 11:14 am