The Phone Interview – When the Call Comes

We all know that if you apply for a job, the possibility of a phone interview exists. In a previous post, I explained how to prepare for a phone interview and why you should take it seriously. But do you know your environment during the call plays as big of a part of your success as your knowledge preparation did?

What should you do, and how should you be ready for the actual interview? Where should you be both physically and mentally? The right answers to those questions can mean the difference between moving up or moving on to the next interview!

Great ways to help you prepare to participate in the phone interview

1. Sit in a room or area that’s friendly. David Hume at the Duncan Massey blog suggests finding a place distraction free, and with a landline if possible. Find a place you would take a personal visitor to have a friendly chat. I’ve done phone interviews in a park and in my family room in front of a fireplace.

2. Don’t sit in front of a computer. If you think you can hastily look up answers on the computer, it will cause distraction to the interviewer and will have the same effect as text messaging while driving your car – you will lose focus. If your computer notes are that important, print them out ahead of time

3. Dress for the interview. The idea here is to put you into the frame of mind you would be if you had the job. I have even put a suit on for one phone interview, because I strongly believe in the “dress for success” model.

4. Have a copy of the resume in front of you that you sent to the company, and if they had an ad posted, have a copy of that as well.

5. Don’t talk all the time. Wait a second or two before you answer any questions posed to you. So many times we want to prove we know the answer, that we can talk over the interviewer before they are done asking the question. That in its self can lower your chances of being called back.

6. If a topic comes up during the interview that you have a prepared question for, don’t hesitate to ask it at the right time. Otherwise wait until the end of the interview.

Remember, the phone interview is a preliminary screening to see if you are able to do the job. If they are interested and think you may be a good fit, you probably will be called in for a second interview which will be more comprehensive. In this post I explain an experience I had with a phone interview that went good, but the face to face one did not. No matter what is in store for you, you have to get through the first interview successfully! Good luck!

Photo courtesy of Flickr Photographer PJZ

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