10 tips to acing a phone interview
Although it may not be important to look good for a telephone interview, you still have to be extremely well prepared. Telephone interviews are extremely common these days and are used by the employers as a first step when deciding who to give formal interviews to. Get the telephone interview right and you’ll have a great chance of getting that coveted dream job you’re after! Here are 10 tips to acing a phone interview.
1. SMILE, Although you might not think it matters whether you smile or scowl in a telephone interview – it can make all the difference. It’ll put you in an affirmative frame of mind and your positivity will be reflected in your conversation.
2. NOTES, Whenever you’ve been in a particularly tough interview haven’t you always wished that you had notes to refer to? In a telephone interview there’s no reason not to have written notes laid out in front of you.
3. STAND, Standing up while on the phone is almost instinctive and will help you to feel more energised and expand your diaphragm so you don’t sound sluggish and you speak clearly.
4. ANSWER THE PHONE CORRECTLY, Don’t answer the phone with just a ‘Hello’, ‘Hi’ or ‘Howdy’ – you should answer professionally and instantly clarify who you are i.e. ‘Good afternoon, Sam speaking’ or ‘Hello, Sam Smith speaking’.
5. CV, Have your CV in front of you so that you can respond to the interviewer’s questions about it – they will almost certainly have a copy of it in front of them and so should you. The same goes for your cover letter.
6. BE COMFORTABLE, It sounds obvious but it’s essential that you’re comfortable for your phone interview. Even if you’re just at home make sure you’re showered and refreshed. Be sure to wear clothes that will keep you cool, should you get a little flustered during the interview.
7. ENSURE INTERFERENCES DON’T OCCUR, When you’re having a formal phone interview you don’t want your Jack Russell bounding into the room after food, or bad reception cutting into the interview. Try to be home alone for the interview and ideally make the call on a landline.
8. KEEP HYDRATED , During a twenty minute telephone interview you’re likely to talk as much as you would over several hours on a normal day. Your throat may also become slightly constricted due to nerves, so ensure you’ve got a drink to hand.
9. DON’T GET FLUSTERED, There are ways of controlling yourself in a telephone interview that you wouldn’t get away with in a face-to-face interview. Close you eyes for a second and concentrate on your breathing and ask them nicely to repeat the question if necessary.
10. HAVE YOUR OWN QUESTIONS, At the end of the interview the recruiter will likely ask if you have any of your own questions. It looks bad if you don’t have any, so have at least one prepared to ask if it’s called upon.
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