Phone Interview Tips – Five Great Tips for an Excellent Phone Interview

admin — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 18:27:49 +0000

There are several different reasons why a company might choose to run phone interviews. While it does not give them the face to face contact that a conventional interview does, it allows them to get through many applicants relatively quickly.

If you find yourself facing a phone interview, you’ll find that you need to distinguish yourself to make sure that you get offered a second, usually traditional, face-to-face interview. Follow the phone interview tips below to make sure that you present yourself well.

5 Phone Interview Tips

1. Double check the day and time.

Simple we know, but you’d be surprised how many people don’t remember it. Even if the phone interview is taking place in your own home, you’ll find that it is still important to be there in plenty of time and be ready. If the interview is early, you don’t want to sound like you are just rolling out of bed. Remember to make sure that you are ready and waiting to pick up whenever they call, so figure out where you are going to be and when.

2. Dress up

It might sound a little silly to put yourself in a suit or other business attire when you are not leaving the house at all, but you will find that if you do this you can remain a good deal more mindful about your situation than if you were simply wearing your sweats or your pajamas. When you dress sharp, there is a good chance that you will feel sharp too, so take the time to make sure you take advantage of this mental trick.

3. Keep things quiet

If you are in a situation where you live with other adults and children, make sure that you have a secure area in which to speak to your prospective new employers. Shut yourself up in a room and make sure that someone is keeping the kids quiet, or request that your roommates keep things quiet on entering and leaving while you are talking on the phone. Remember that the quieter the room is, the better your ability to concentrate is going to be.

4. Gather everything you need

Before the phone interview, get everything ready. You’ll want your resume, CV or job application form and any portfolio samples that you think might be relevant. Remember to keep a pencil and some paper nearby in case you need to make notes, and make sure that you leave yourself some reminders about things that you want to bring up. Keep everything organized so you don’t have to search frantically when you want to refer to something.

5. Thinking about call quality

Whatever you do, don’t eat or chew gun during your phone interview, although you might want to keep some water nearby to make sure that you can wet your throat. Unless you have excellent reception, you may wish to conduct your phone interview on a landline. Similarly, keep in mind the fact that you need to turn off things like call waiting to make sure that you can speak uninterrupted.

Follow these 5 phone interview tips and your phone interview will run more smoothly.

By: Catherine Z JonesAbout the Author:

Catherine Jones is a leading authority on recruitment and, with 3 colleagues, has written a how to snag a job website in which she shares her secrets on getting hired.

Catherine works as a senior manager for a large financial services organisation and recruits new employees on a regular basis. Learn from the experts and snag the job you want – your dream job!

Telephone Interview Tips – Land Your Dream Job

admin — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 19:15:42 +0000

Telephone interview tips can help you land your dream job. How? The amount of telephone job interviews conducted by employers has dramatically risen over the past five years and the trend shows no signs of slowing. This is mainly due to the fact that employers are searching for ideal candidates who live out of town, not just those who live locally. Chances are that you may have to “attend” a telephone interview. When you do, these tips will help you out.

Keep in mind that an interview conducted over the phone is just as important as one conducted in an office. You need to prepare for your interview just as you would any other interview. Review questions and practice your answers in front of a mirror or with a friend. Make a list of questions you want to ask. You might also want to study up on the employer you are interviewing with.

Always keep your resume and the classified job ad in front of you during the interview. This will keep vital information within reach. Avoid preparing a pile of documents. If you have a stack of papers in front of you, you will be tempted to browse through papers which will create a noisy distraction during your interview. It will be very difficult extracting information from a huge pile anyway. The key is to keep it simple.

If at all possible, use a home phone line for the interview. Cell phones can be unreliable. A home phone is both more reliable and free of static. Set aside time for the interview. Make sure you are in a quiet place and that will allow you plenty of time to talk. Your interviewer may request to conduct the interview through a video conferencing system on the computer. This is fine, but there could be technical difficulties if you don’t make sure you are up and running ahead of time.

Make sure you set aside plenty of time for your interview. You never want to abruptly halt an interview or disrupt it in any way. One of the best telephone interview tips that you can follow involves getting into an ideal frame of mind before the interview. Schedule time before the interview to relax. Take steps to limit disruptions. Take the call in a private room located away from kids, animals and other potential distractions.

Try to speak up and pronounce your words clearly. Remember; the quality of your voice is your first and only impression. Speak passionately, but avoid becoming too animated or excited. This could make it difficult for the interviewer to understand you.

Another great tip is to dress for a telephone interview just as you would in an in-office interview. While no one will actually see you, you will feel more professional and your voice will convey this.

Telephone interview tips will only help you if you have time to prepare beforehand. If an employer cold calls you and asks to do an interview on the spot, politely ask if you can call back at a better time. Always give a time when you will call back.

By: CK Tan

About the Author:

CK Tan is the owner of JobAsiaSearch.com, a web site dedicated to assisting job seekers secure a job in Asia. If you need help in your Asia job search or looking for a job opening in Asia, visit http://www.jobasiasearch.com

Getting A Job » Telephone Interview

Phone Interview Tips – Five Great Tips for an Excellent Phone Interview

Telephone Interview Tips – Land Your Dream Job