The telephone interview is faster, easier and cheaper for an employer to sort the wheat from the chaff. It’s also an extra opportunity for you to be able to convince the employer you’re right for the job. As always, there are do’s and don’ts, and we’re going to cover some of them here.
First you need to prepare as you would for a normal interview. Read your CV, read the job description, research the company and have answers ready for the more common questions.
You have an advantage here in that you can make notes and refer to them during the call. Make notes, lots of them. Use bullet points and keep them clear, read them, learn them. You can use these notes in all phone interviews you might have, so it’s worth taking the time.
With any kind of job interview, the more prepared you are the better you will perform on the day. It’s obvious to recruiters if a candidate has prepared or not, so don’t fall into that category. The recruiter will think if you can’t be bothered to prepare properly, you won’t be bothered to work properly.
Preparation takes much of the thought out of the discussion. The more natural you come across on the phone, the better the impression will be. This call is an important one, it’s your audition, your chance to move on to the next stage. Doing well here could change your life in a big way.
You have to make a good impression on the interviewer while not being able to see them. They can’t read your face or your body language so it’s important to smile when you talk and use enthusiastic tones when speaking. You need to convince them you’re ready for the next step, the face-to-face. Smiling when talking changes the pitch and tone of your voice which can be detected on the call.
Set the scene properly. Schedule the interview at a convenient time. Make sure you’re somewhere comfortable, preferably at home in a comfy chair. If you have to take the call at a lunch hour at work, sit in your car, or go someplace outside of the building. Keep distractions to a minimum, you need to focus.
Try to use a landline where possible too. There’s nothing worse than doing well, then losing signal or battery on your mobile phone. In fact, that is one of the biggest complaints from recruiters, so avoid it wherever possible.
It’s the interviewers job to guide you through the call, so relax and let them take control. When they ask you questions, answer clearly and concisely. Don’t be monosyllabic but stay on topic. You have a limited time to make an impression, make sure it’s a good one.
