How To Prepare For A Job Phone Interview

Success And Scale Bring Broad Responsibility

We started in a garage, but we’re not there anymore. We are big, we impact the world, and we are far from perfect. We must be humble and thoughtful about even the secondary effects of our actions. Our local communities, planet, and future generations need us to be better every day. We must begin each day with a determination to make better, do better, and be better for our customers, our employees, our partners, and the world at large. And we must end every day knowing we can do even more tomorrow. Leaders create more than they consume and always leave things better than how they found them.

Direct Them To Your Personal Branding Website

Say whaaat? Personal branding website?

Oh what, you didnt know one of the best new strategies that all the best job seekers are employing?

Its true, having your own personal branding website can be one of the most powerful tools you use as part of your job search.

Why? Well there are dozens of reasons, but most importantly, a personal website will allow you to impress hiring managers, differentiate yourself from your competitors, increase your visibility online and create a hub for your personal brand online.

Not to mention it lets you show off so much more of your personality than your resume or cover letter can. And this is absolutely HUGE for someone having a phone interview, when the name of the game is standing out and being memorable.

What do you think is more memorable? Someone who submits their resume and cover letter and then answers a few questions over the phone or someone who does all of the above and then directs the hiring manager over to their website, allowing them to receive the many benefits I listed above?

Its a no brainer and heres a little secret.

Its not that hard.

Especially since I made a blog post for you that shows you exactly how to do it, How To Set Up Your Personal Website In Under 15 Minutes. This blog post will hold your hand through the process and make it brain-dead easy for you, even if you are terrible at using computers.

Common Interview Preparation Mistakes To Avoid

When it comes to preparing for an interview, the biggest mistake you can make is not doing it at all. Even if youre a highly-skilled professional overflowing with potential and natural poise, you cant assume that is enough.

On average, it takes five job interviews before youll land a job.

Wow, right?

Plus, 57 percent of professionals say theyve had a job interview go poorly. Thats more than half of all professionals, people who know their jobs well and are likely at least reasonably successful.

An interview isnt like a normal conversation with a colleague. Instead, youre being tested, put on the spot, and asked to defend your resume. Some questions are designed to put you back on your heels. Others are so open-ended, that its easy to drift off-topic.

Preparation allows you to be at your best when that fateful interview day arrives. Youll have great answers just waiting to be deployed, and a strategy that can help you navigate the unexpected. In turn, youll be more likely to succeed, making all of the effort worthwhile.

However, thats not the only misstep aspiring new hires make. Choosing the wrong mock interview questions can also hurt you. For example, some candidates spend all of their time on generic interview questions. Sure, you need to be ready for classics like, Tell me about yourself and What motivates you? but you also need to be prepared to face off against field- or job-specific ones, too.

MIKE’S TIP:

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Get Some Questions Ready

At the end of every interview, you typically have a chance to ask the hiring manager a few questions. Make sure you have a few ready to go. That way, you wont be at a loss when that moment arrives.

If you dont know where to begin, ask them to describe a typical day in the position. You can also ask if theres anything preventing them from considering you the top candidate, giving you a chance to address any concerns head-on.

Check out our article for more questions you can ask the hiring manager!

Answer The Phone Professionally

How you answer your telephone is important since it may be the first impression the interviewer gets of you. Make a habit of always answering your phone professionally if you’re looking for work.

While some phone interviews are scheduled, sometimes recruiters may call unexpectedly. A recruiter may also call during an unscheduled time to set up an interview or to confirm or change an interview time.

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Prepare A Cheat Sheet And Take Notes

There are some benefits to phone interviews in comparison with in-person interviews. Namely, neither participant can see the other. This means that it is possible to keep a cheat sheet on hand with answers to possible questions and information on the company. Additionally, taking notes during the call can allow for callbacks to previous questions or given information. This shows interest and initiative. However, the interviewer can still hear everything that happens on the other line, so limiting paper rustling is essential.

Following Up A Telephone Interview

Don’t end the interview with a polite ‘thanks’ and just hang up. As in face-to-face interviews, employers expect you to have a couple of questions of your own. These could be about the role or the company. Stay away from questions about salary, holiday entitlement or start dates. If you’re struggling for ideas, see 7 good questions to ask at an interview.

It’s also perfectly acceptable, if the interviewer hasn’t mentioned it previously, to enquire about the next stage of the process and when you should expect to hear from them.

If you don’t hear back within a couple of weeks, give them a call or send an email to follow up. Reiterate your interest in the role and thank them again for their time. If you’ve been unsuccessful on this occasion, use this as a chance to ask for feedback on your performance so you can use the lessons learned in future applications.

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How To Prepare For A Job Interview Basics

Job interview preparation is the process that makes you ready for a successful interview with a hiring manager. Your preparation should start as soon as you receive an interview invitation, and should continue until the interview begins. When you prepare well for an interview, you’ll:

Speak Confidently And Clearly

You cant wow an interviewer with your smile over the phone, so youve got to convey enthusiasm and professionalism using your voice alone.

After assessing a baseline competence, phone interviewers are first and foremost judging your level of interest in the role itself. Nothing is worse than a monotone, dull conversation. So try to speak clearly and with a level of enthusiasm about the opportunity.

Variation in speech is important for points of emphasis, and you should apply the same principle to your phone interview, says Jordan Wan, founder of CloserIQ, a sales recruitment program in New York City. Try adding inflection and emphasis when youre making your most crucial points.

One thing that can greatly help your confidence is if you stand. Even though its over the phone, your body posture impacts your voice and audio tone, says Georgene Huang, founder of Fairygodboss, a workplace improvement company for women based in New York City.

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Consider Your Salary Expectations

Many employers ask about your salary expectations. Research the average salary in your industry when considering what youd like to get paid, but be reasonable. Its also wise to offer them a salary range within $5,000. For example, Im hoping to make between $60,000 and $65,000. This will let your interviewer know that you are flexible.

Read more: Interview Question: What Are Your Salary Expectations?

How To Prepare For Video And Phone Interviews

3 mins

Video and phone interviews are becoming more common.

Youd normally get a chance to meet your potential employer in person. But with more and more companies moving to home working, this is not always possible.

Whether you already have a video or phone interview lined up or are starting your job search and want to be prepared weve pulled together 5 top tips to help.

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How Do You Close An Interview

Once the interviewer has asked all of their questions, they will open the floor to you to ask any of your own questions. After this, it would be prudent to ask what the next steps in the interview process are. This is a good way to close the interview because it allows the interviewer to not only tell you when they should be in contact but also to conclude that this portion of the process is over.

Have A Pen And Notebook Handy

If you are interviewing more than one candidate, have a pen and notebook handy to take detailed notes during the phone interview. This will help you screen the best ones after you have interviewed all the candidates.

You can even use the notes to discuss things with your colleagues or seniors to find the best candidates for your company.

Make a note of things like:

• Did the candidate do their homework ?
• Was the candidate sincerely interested in your company?
• Does the candidate have all the requisite skills and experience required for the job?

You can also add detailed feedback that might be helpful when referring back to them later.

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Listen Carefully And Try To Avoid Interruption

Sometimes in a telephone conversation, it can be difficult to determine when the other person has finished speaking. Dont worry about leaving a short pause after their question to ensure they have finished speaking as we mentioned above, the interviewer may be quiet in order to process or write down your responses.

As you will be unable to see the interviewer, listen carefully to make sure the interviewer has finished speaking before forming your answer.

Phone Interview Tip #: Understand Who’s Calling

Some Phone Interview Questions You Might Get:

• Tell me a little bit about your work history.
• Why are you looking to leave your current company?
• What is the biggest challenge you have seen at your current position and how did you overcome it?
• Describe a substantial win in your last position.
• What was your favorite/least favorite element of your last position?
• How can you contribute to our companys success?
• How well do you work by yourself, with a team?
• Why are you interested in coming to work for us?
• Why are you attracted to this specific position?
• What makes you the ideal candidate for this position?
• When can you come in for a face-to-face interview?
• Are you willing to relocate? If we don’t provide relocation assistance, are you still willing?
• What are your salary requirements?
• How far along are you in your search? Are you speaking to other companies?
• Tell me about in your resume.
• Where do you see yourself in five years?
• What questions do you have for me?

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Why Do Recruiters Use Phone Interviews

It takes a lot of time and effort to conduct interviews, especially in-person. A recruiter typically receives hundreds of applications for every job they post. Their goal is to narrow down that list and identify the top 35 candidates. Since there simply isnt enough time in the day to schedule every candidate that appears to be qualified, recruiters love phone interviews. Theyre fast, efficient, and effective.

Have Your Job Materials Nearby

You should feel comfortable and ready to discuss your background and skills confidently during a phone conversation. Have a copy of your resume nearby, so that you can refer to it during the interview. Also have a copy of the job posting and a copy of your cover letter if you sent one.

Consider creating a draft email or a new Word or Google file with all of the relevant information. That way, you’ll have all the detailsnotes on the company, key points you want to emphasize during the interview, your cover letter, the job posting, and so onin one spot.

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Set A Professional Voicemail

In the event you cant answer the phone when they initially call, leave a good impression by having a professional and friendly voicemail. For example, Hi, youve reached Jane. Im sorry I missed your call. Please leave a detailed message and a call back number, and Ill get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you.

Phone And Video Interviews

Some companies choose to host phone or video interviews to screen candidates before deciding who to call in for in-person interviews. Companies that offer remote work may also host these interviews because of distance or because they do not have an office.

Read our article to discover the most common phone interview questions and how to answer them.

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If You Were Hired How Soon Can You Start

Oh boy. If youre an out of area hire and are required to relocate, this answer is far from a simple one.

First off, dont ever answer with Now! Not only will you come off as desperate, but if youre already employed with another job, youre going to have to do the right thing and give notice.

Its easy to get intimidated and over-commit to an early start datebut the worst thing you can do is give a date to a new employer and then have to ask for more time. Not the right way to start out your long and mutually beneficial working relationship! Then you have to factor in the actual logistics of making a move.

Even one just across town can be as daunting as one across statesor in some cases, countries! Depending on the size of your move you could be looking at anything from a few days to a few months.

Again, be honest!

Many employers, if theyre genuinely interested in hiring you, will have programs in place to help you relocate and ease the burdens that come with a full move.

If they dont, make sure to take that into consideration as well. Words to the wisealways ask for MORE time than you initially think youll need. Trust us, in the long run, its far better to have more time than you need than to run out and have to ask for an extension.

One thing NOT to focus on during an initial phone interview is salaryat least not until youve had a chance to read our article When And How To Discuss Salary During The Job Interview Process.

Research Common Interview Questions

Dont forget to prepare for questions you might be asked during your phone interview. Start by reaching out to people in your network who have worked or interviewed with the company in the past and ask them about potential interview questions.

If you dont know anyone with connections to the company, dont sweat it. There are other ways to get the inside scoop on the interview process. For instance, Glassdoor has interview questions and reviews that can give you a better idea of what will be asked in your interview.

If youre interviewing for internships, you need to be prepared for a different set of questions. Be sure to check out our list of common internship interview questions and know how to answer them.

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Send A Thank You Email After Phone Interview

No, this isnt a good enough thank you note!

Remember, this stage is about making good first impressions and the fact that youre doing this all via phone makes the follow up even more critical.

Make sure you not only end your phone call on a positive note, but follow up in a timely manner with a thoughtful thank you email after your interview.

Let the interviewer know you appreciated them taking time to talk to you and that you enjoyed it and that you are invested in the process.

It will help you stand out and reinforce that youre truly interested in the position. Above all remember that the focus here is on how you add value to the company, not just what your past experiences are and what youre good at.

Prepare Like Its An Exambut Use A Cheat Sheet

While you dont have the benefit of face-to-face rapport, the best thing about a phone interview is that you can use notes rather than relying on memory to get your points across. Be sure to print out cheat sheets ahead of time, both to help sell yourself, and to show how much you know about the company.

Figuring out what to say in a phone interview starts with your elevator pitch. Don’t have one yet? Nows the time, and once youve got yours, print it out and have it ready to use next to the phone.

Also, as soon as youve landed the interview, start researching the company, the role, and the interviewer . The more preparation you do, the more comfortable youll feel on the phone.

Start by taking a look at their website, read their blog posts, and figure out their mission statement, says Scott Wesper, hiring manager at Arch Resources Group, a human capital management company in Miami. If you know who your interviewer is going to be ahead of time, look them up. This gives you the opportunity to find out a little bit of information about the person, and maybe even some common ground.

Your research should include a cheat sheet of key company facts and answers to common interview prompts, such as tell me why you want this job, and even how to answer the always-awkward salary question.

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