How To Do A Phone Interview

by Heather Long | More from this Blogger

02 Aug 2007 01:59 PM

Job hunting is difficult enough. It takes time to put together the right resume for the right job. You may have several versions of your resume, each version geared to a specific type of job whether you are looking for something in management or development or training. You may be qualified in all of these areas, but you need to emphasize specific strengths for specific jobs. But you've done the resume and you've submitted it and now you're facing the dreaded phone interview.

The Phone Interview

The phone interview is important. First and foremost, you've gotten the door to open a crack. In order to have it opened all the way and get yourself invited in for a formal, face-to-face interview, you need to perform well during the phone interview. I know a lot of people who get really nervous when they are interviewed whether it's in person or on the phone. Here are a few tips to help you make that phone interview a good one and not just another wasted 20 minutes.

Things to Do

You should:

• Be accurate in the information that you give the prospective employer so that they can contact you whether it is by phone or by email
• If you are job hunting, make sure your voicemail is specific and to the point - avoid cutesy messages or garbled, long-winded ones that may make prospective employers hang up before they leave you a message
• Plan the time for your phone interview to be free from extraneous background noise and distractions - if you have small children, set them up with an activity or ask a friend or relative to watch them for an hour
• Be familiar with the job that you are interviewing for - take notes if you need to, remind yourself of the job requirements and be prepared to discuss them. You only have a few minutes to impress them, so this is not the time to fumble
• Be prepared to offer an alternative time if necessary to reconnect with the interviewer - your phone may cut out, theirs may or some other unplanned incident may occur
• Have a copy of your resume so that when your prospective employer asks you about a key item, you can answer them succinctly and clearly - it does not impress them if they have to remind you what you have on your resume
• Stand, rather than sit, while you are being interviewed - when we stand, we tend to be more formal on the phone and you want to be pleasant, without allowing yourself to be overly conversational

Things Not To Do

You should not:

• Chew gum, eat or drink while on the phone with the interviewer
• Put your interviewer on hold to answer another phone call unless it's an emergency
• Watch television or listen to the radio while on the call
• Have your email open or any software that requires your focus and attention
• Discuss your family or personal business while discussing the job opportunity
• Have to talk when silence reigns. You are the one being interviewed, the more succinctly you address issues, and the less likely you are to ramble
• Make demands about the position outside of answering clear-cut questions with regard to the job

We'll discuss some possible ways to phrase answers and to get your point across in a manner that is positive for a phone interview tomorrow. Are you comfortable being interviewed on the phone?

Related Articles:

The Job Interview and Uncomfortable Questions

Five Ways to Turn Off Potential Employers

Questions to Ask the Prospective Employer

Learn more about Heather Long

Heather Long is 35 years old and currently lives in Wylie, Texas. She has been a freelance writer for six years. Her husband and she met while working together at America Online over ten years ago.

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