The Career Report

 
  Volume 1 - 12 - May, 2008

 

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The Next Best Thing to Being There . . . (The Successful Phone Interview)

Are you nervous about an upcoming phone interview from a prospective employer?
The Internet and Web job postings have spawned a real problem for hiring companies: they get more candidates than they can handle.  Worse, most of these candidates are not a match.  Thus, many companies save time and effort by screening applicants over the phone against very strict criteria before calling them in for an interview.  Remember, the phone screen is a means to an end; the goal is to be invited in for a face-to-face interview.  There are three key pieces to the phone interview.

Text Box: Preparation: Mental and Logistical

 


Think about where you will be when the call takes place.

  • Make the necessary arrangements so you will not be easily distracted or interrupted.  Remove yourself from noise and distraction by going to a quiet place where your focus will be entirely on the interview.
  • If you must conduct the interview at work, do it on your own time and not on a company phone.
  • Be on a land-line, if possible, and disable your call waiting.
  • Have paper and pencil ready and your resume in front of you, as well as a list of your accomplishments and a copy of the job description.
  • Answer the call with your full name.  If you’re the one placing the call, make a full introduction of who you are and who set up the call.
  • Do not eat, drink, chew gum, etc.

Text Box: Present Yourself as a Match



Read the company’s website and its position description.  Match your tone and questions to the interviewer’s tone.  Save questions regarding salary, vacation, benefits, etc., for another time.  It is not appropriate at this point.  Your goal for this interview is to get to the second interview.

The interviewer may start the conversation with, "We really like your resume, but I must tell you up front that the job pays no more than $X.  Are you still interested?" An appropriate response would be, "I'm very interested in this position."  If asked for salary requirements, you can respond with, "At this juncture, I’m more interested in the opportunity.”  If pressed, say the following: “Presently, my compensation is $X.  If you believe that I’m a fit for this position, I’m confident that you’ll make a fair offer.”

Text Box: Let Them Hear Your Enthusiasm

 


In a telephone interview, both you and the interviewer are deprived of visual cues such as office environment, culture, and most importantly, body language, so you have to pay more attention to intonation and tone.  Smile through the phone.  It works!  Practice your presentation.  Rehearse several short sentences to summarize what motivates you, your accomplishments, and what skills you possess.

It varies by industry, but in general, less is more during a telephone interview.  By getting to the point, you increase your chances of reaching the next step, which could involve a face-to-face interview.   Use a point in the conversation to ask for a face-to-face interview or for the chance to dig deeper.  Telephone interviews can be as long as in-person interviews, so prepare just as carefully.  Research the organization and your fit for the specifications in the ad or job posting.  Remember to ask questions: the most important factors sought in the ideal candidate, why the position is open, if the interviewer has any unanswered concerns about your candidacy, and what the next steps are.

At the beginning of this article, we posed a question, asking if you’re nervous about an upcoming telephone interview.  With the information outlined in this article, we hope that we’ve helped to decrease any anxiety you may be experiencing and also increased your confidence in being able to take the next step in the interview process.

(As always, we value your input regarding the content for our newsletter.  If you have any ideas or suggestions for future topics, be sure to contact us at [email address here].  We look forward to hearing from you.)

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