Phone interviews are just as important, if not more so, than face-to-face interviews. In down economies, more companies choose to conduct interviews via the phone versus face-to-face to save time, money (if they have to pay your expense to come to their office), and effort. So preparation and practice are key to succeeding on the phone.
Prepare for a phone interview (similar to a regular interview) by taking seven important steps:
- Research the industry, the company, the competitors, and the interviewer (if possible).
- Match your strengths to the job description.
- Practice interview questions, focusing on the results of your projects and tasks.
- Ask a friend to interview you over the phone so you are used to the medium.
- Be proactive about discussing your strengths and have concrete examples of how you have used them.
- Prepare questions for the interviewer.
- Ask what the next steps will be.
Phone interviews have several advantages:
- You can focus more on the actual questions because you have fewer distractions:
- The surroundings
- The interviewer
- You can treat the interview like an open-book test and have several items at hand to help you:
- A copy of your résumé
- A list of your strengths and examples of each one
- A list of your weaknesses and your plan to strengthen each
Since many companies save time and money by conducting phone interviews, spend the time now to master success strategies as it will benefit you in the long run!
Phone interviews have some disadvantages:
- You lose your ability to make a first great impression visually.
- You lose the ability to impress with body language such as eye contact, a good handshake, and so forth.
- You cannot read the interviewer’s body language.
- You might become confused if more than one person is asking questions, especially if a speakerphone is used.
- You might be left in the awkward position of not knowing what to do next if the recruiter doesn’t value phone interviews as much as face-to-face interviews. They might reschedule or not call when they said they would.
Strategies for a successful phone interview include the following:
- Ensure your office or interview space will be quiet and uninterrupted.
- Put a note over your doorbell—“Do not ring from 2–3:00 p.m.”
- Put a note on your door—“Do not disturb—interview in progress from 2–3:00 p.m.”
- Ask someone to walk your dog for the hour you are on the phone, or put it in a fenced backyard. If you have a cat with a loud meow, put it in another room where it cannot be heard.
- Stop call waiting—check with your carrier as to how to do this.
- Shut off cell phones.
- Dress up even though you don’t have to:
- You will feel more professional.
- You will take the interview more seriously.
- Stand up during the interview:
- Your voice sounds better.
- Your focus will be keener.
- Have a glass of water handy.
- Have your important documents and whatever else you might need in front of you because the interviewer can hear you gather things during the interview.
- Remember that body language is important:
- Smile when you would normally smile in a live interview. Interviewers can hear a smile and smiles enhance the interview experience.
- Use inflection in your voice because a monotone makes for a dull interview.
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