Top tips to help you ace your next phone interview.
Phone interviews are becoming increasingly popular. Although they are less stressful than a face to face interview, there’s the challenge of impressing the interviewer using the power of speech. We have put together a guide to help you prepare for a phone interview.
Do your research
Just as if you were preparing for a face to face interview, you should research the company and the person that will be interviewing you. In the interview they may ask you what you know about the company. At the end of most interviews you will be asked if you have any questions. The research you do into the company may help you come up with answers to this question. Speaking of questions, you should prepare some. These can make or break the interview. Write them in a way that will show the interviewer that you are the right person for the job. The best thing about phone interviews is that that you can have a cheat sheet with all your questions and research in front of you.
Find a good location
Phone interviews allow you to control your interview environment. Choose an interview time slot that allows you to sit free from distractions for at least 30 minutes. You should find a quiet room and if you can take the call on a landline to avoid connection disruptions. If you use a mobile phone, make sure it is fully charged.
Have right mindset
A way you can set yourself up for failure is by going into the interview with the mindset that it is not really as important or a big deal as a face to face interview. You may be tempted to take the phone call in your pyjamas or between running errands. You should have the same respect and mindset as you would for a face to face interview. Make sure you are well rested, showered and ready to go before the interview. If you mentally and physically prepare yourself for the interview by dressing professionally, you will put yourself in a more confident and focused mindset.
A way you can keep your confidence and enthusiasm levels high is to do the interview standing up instead of sitting down. Some sales people use this trick to help them stay focused and alert when making high pressure calls.
Listen and take notes
You should be an active listener during the interview. This will help pace the conversation. Take notes, this will give you some information you could use later on in the interview.
Confirm next steps
Ask your interviewer for all the necessary follow up information including what the next step in the interview process is like, a timeline of when potential candidates should expect to be notified if they are successful in the telephone interview. And make sure you’ve ended the call!
