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Nailing a phone interview
by Helen Isbister, 18 September 2008 |
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The day of the big job interview has arrived. You crawl out of bed with five minutes to spare and pick some fluff off your tracksuit pants before plonking yourself down on the couch with the telephone.
There is a good chance you will be interviewed for a job via the phone at some point in your career, so it’s important to master the technique of talking the talk when you’re not required to walk the walk. An organisation may choose to interview over the phone as part of a preliminary selection process or because it’s geographically more convenient.
The biggest trap you can fall into is not ‘turning up’. Just because you won’t be physically going into the office doesn’t mean you should take it any less seriously.
Make sure you do your research just as you would for any other job interview. Find out as much as you can about the company and think about possible answers to questions. One of the benefits of doing it over the phone is that you can have your resume and notes on standby to refer to when the pressure is on. Jot down things you would like to say but be careful not to read your answers or it will sound unnatural. Also have a pen and paper handy so you can keep track of any important things they say during the interview.
While you don’t need to worry about which tie to wear, or whether your shoes are polished – smartening yourself up can be an important way of psyching yourself into the right professional mentality. Have a shower, get out of your pyjamas and drag a comb through your hair – your head will be in a much better place for wooing the employer. If you look professional, you are more likely to sound professional!
Your surroundings are even more important. Your potential boss wants to hear what you have to say, rather than kids crying, dogs barking and TVs blaring in the background. Find a quiet place where you won’t be distracted and make sure your mobile is turned off! Don’t conduct the interview on a mobile if possible – it can be difficult to hear the person you are talking to and you might lose the connection.
Think about how you can give a stellar performance and build up a rapport without the face-to-face tricks. Using the employer’s name during the course of the interview and smiling when you talk are the telephone equivalents of a firm handshake and eye contact. Make sure you speak clearly and concisely as it can be more difficult to interpret a person without body language – also try to make your tone vibrant and dynamic so the interviewer can get a sense of your character.
At the end of the interview, thank the interviewer for their time and say you hope to meet them in person. Follow it up with an email of thanks to let them know you are keen and to keep yourself fresh in their mind.
Related links
Telephone interview dos and don'ts
Interview tips
Nail that interview
How to answer tricky interview questions
Image of interview: © Norman Pogson | Dreamstime.com
Background image: © asifthebes | stockxchang
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