Get Clear On The Details
This means knowing:
- The time of your phone interview
- Who exactly youll be speaking with and their role
- What number theyll be calling from
- What number theyll be calling you at
- Any other contact information you may need if the call drops
If this wasnt spelled out to you, just ask! Theres nothing wrong with getting some clarity on something that affects both of your schedules .
You can send the following email:
Hi ,
Im excited to speak with you on ! I just wanted to double check what time were chatting at and what number youll be calling from. Please let me know if theres anything else you need from me before our call.
Thanks so much!
Or you can follow up on your previous conversations with:
Hi ,
Just confirming were chatting on at and youll be calling me at /Ill be calling you at ? Let me know if I have that schedule wrong.
Thanks,
Oh, and if you need to reschedule for whatever emergency reason, use this email template and be proactivein other words, dont wait until the last second to cancel if you can help it.
End The Call Effectively
If the interviewer is bringing the call to an end without discussing the next steps, speak up! Express your enthusiasm for moving forward, saying something like this:
Thank you for your time today. Ive enjoyed speaking with you, learning more about this opportunity, and I would be very happy to discuss more about it in person.
Ask if email is the best method for staying in touch .
If an in-person interview is not scheduled at the end of the call, find out when and how you can follow up with the employer.
Be sure to ask for contact information of the person, or people, who will be your contact.
Questions To Expect For Your Specific Case
Every person’s case is a little different, so it is impossible to list here all the questions the EDD might specifically ask you about your individual case. As mentioned above, the back of the interview notice has a list of questions that might be asked by the interviewer. If you have an idea what the issue is, you can research it by looking in my Practice Guide for Unemployment Insurance Benefits in California. It’s on our website here. If you would like to talk to someone about your specific case, please feel free to call our office at 320-1616 or email us at [email protected]. We can provide one-half hour of coaching assistance for your EDD interview at very reasonable rates, usually around $74. to get priority status for your consultation.
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What Are Your Salary Requirements
While it may seem presumptuous, a lot of times interviewers will ask this in phone interviews to quickly eliminate anyone whos out of their budget.
Oftentimes recruiters are given a certain amount per position, and rather than bring a candidate all the way through the process only to get stuck on salary, they want to ensure the person is comfortable with what they can offer upfront.
Tips To Ace Your Phone Interview
- Post author
Youve worked hard to network to a company of interest and potential job you would love.
And finally, you get the good news and bad news.
You have received a invitation to interview!
But, the first step in their hiring process is an interview over the phone.
No dressing up. No big smiles and firm handshakes. Whew! But
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Whats Something That You Worked On That Youre Most Proud Of
The recruiters perspective: Were looking for your passion were looking for what excites you. Theres no wrong answer besides having no answer. It shows your ability to get excited about something and to talk through your problem-solving process. We want people who are excited about the work that they do no matter what it is and can explain it in a concise way.
The answer: You can talk about anything, whether thats your work, hobbies or school. When someone says Oh, I’ve got the perfect thing that I can tell you about and they light up as theyre talking about it thats what were looking for. An engineer might talk about a side project they worked on and how they pulled data from a data set, drew insights from that data and then built an app. Were listening for the ability to explain things concisely and enthusiasm.
Typical Phone Interview Questions
Phone interviews are conducted just like in-person interviews. They are used by hiring managers and recruiters as a tool for screening candidates for employment.
Its important to take time to review the typical phone interview questions youll be asked and to prepare answers. In addition, plan on being prepared for a phone conversation about your background and skills.
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How Soon Should You Send A Thank You Email After A Phone Interview
When you have an in-person interview, it makes sense to wait until you get home to send your email out. But when you have a phone interview, how long should you wait before hitting send?
While there is not necessarily a perfect time, you should send your email within 24 hours of your phone interview. Make sure you take some time to decide what you want to say in your thank you email. You can include things like details about the position that you discussed during your phone interview or mention the things you liked. If you forgot to ask any questions about the job or company, include them in your note. You want to avoid sending your thank you note as soon as the call is over though. Otherwise it might seem like you didnt put any thought into your follow up.
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.
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What Kind Of Questions Does A Disability Judge Ask
You may be more comfortable if you know what kinds of questions to expect during the hearing. The administrative law judge will likely ask you for your name, Social Security number, age, mailing address, height and weight. After that, you should be prepared to answer questions such as: What is your formal education?
Create A Location That Puts You At Ease
At a face-to-face interview, youve got to suit up and show offand roll with whatever accommodations they offerusually a grey, sterile, fluorescent-lit office. With a phone interview, you can set the scene that makes you as comfortable as possible. This doesnt necessarily mean you should do it from bed, wearing sweats and a t-shirt. In fact, some people actually feel more professional dressing up a bit, even if youre dialing in from home.
Whatever youre wearing, or wherever you choose to take the call, make sure to find a quiet spot with good service at least 30 minutes before your scheduled time. If you have a landline, use it.
Limiting background noise will help you stay focused during the interview and will not be bothersome to the person who is interviewing you, adds Wesper.
If youre video conferencing, make sure to find a spot with a great connection, or even better, use an Ethernet connection to minimize the chance of disconnecting half-way through. Find a neutral location with good lighting. Dont sit in front of a window. This creates a silhouette and youll most likely be in shadows the entire time.
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Phone Interview Tips That Will Help You Get Hired
While you’re job searching, it’s important to be prepared for a phone interview at a moment’s notice. Many companies start the interview process with a phone call to discuss the job opportunity with a prospective employee, determine whether the candidate is a good fit, and to gauge his or her interest in the position. In some cases, a phone interview may be the only interview you’ll have.
In many cases, your interview will be scheduled in advance by email or phone. In others, you may receive a surprise phone call asking whether you’re available to chat about the job.
You never know when a recruiter or a networking contact might call and ask whether you have a few minutes to talk, so always answer the phone professionally, especially if the number is unfamiliar.
You should also make sure that your voicemail message is professional.
Top 20 Phone Interview Questions And Best Answers
Are you prepared for a phone interview? What will the interviewer ask you? Before you interview in person with a hiring manager, you may be asked to take part in a brief phone screen interview.
If you’re interviewing for a freelance or remote position or for any job with a virtual hiring process, you may have a longer and more in-depth interview. In these cases, a telephone interview may be the only actual interview you’ll have.
Phone interviews are conducted just like in-person interviews. They are used by hiring managers and recruiters as a tool for screening candidates for employment.
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Let Me Tell You About A Time That I Solved A Problem Like That
According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers Job Outlook 2018 survey, problem solving is one of the soft skills new college graduates lack the most. But theres a big difference between saying Im a problem solver and actually showing how youre one.
Your best approach, says Marinelli, is to read up on the company ahead of your interview to learn what challenges the company is facing, and explain how youve solved similar problems in the past.
For example: I read on your website youre preparing to launch a new product in the fall, but not many blogs or media outlets seem to be talking about it. I worked on launching a product at my old job, and was very involved in developing the press releases and securing media coverage for it. Id love to share what I learned with your team and help your new product get more exposure.
How To Write A Thank You Email After Your Phone Interview
The phone interview is one of the most important parts of the job interview process. To make yourself stand out to employers, you should send a thank you email after the phone interview to show your professionalism and politeness. Your thank you email should be brief and informative as you remind the interviewer why you’re the best fit for the position.
In this article, we explain why a thank you email after a phone interview is important, how to send one and include a template and examples of effective thank you emails to help you write your own.
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Be Prepared To Discuss
The call isnt only about candidates answering your phone screening questions. Its also a great opportunity for you to clarify details about the position and the hiring process. Make sure that, by the end of the call, candidates understand fully what the role is about as well as what the next steps are. If youre a recruiter, this means youll have to spend some time talking to the hiring managers so that youll be ready to give a clear explanation of the role.
Move the right people forward faster
Easily collaborate with hiring teams to evaluate applicants, gather fair and consistent feedback, check for unconscious bias, and decide whos the best fit, all in one system.
Questions To Ask In A Phone Interview For The Employer To Answer
With these questions to ask in a phone interview, you canclear any doubt that you might have about the organization.
- What are the responsibilities that this job entails?
- What challenges do you think I will encounter?
- How is your company going to evaluate my performance?
- What other departments will I be working with?
- What is it that you think I require to be able to fulfill my job role with ease?
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S After Your Phone Interview
Along with practicing the phone interview questions above, you should also have a plan for how to impress the employer after the interview. Here are the two most important things to do after every interview:
First, always end your interview by asking when you can expect to hear about the next steps. That way, you can follow-up by email to ask for feedback if that time has passed .
And secondly, send a thank-you letter or email within 24 hours of the interview to reaffirm your interest in the position and show the employer you appreciate their time on the phone.
This will help you make a strong impression and keep yourself on top of the hiring managers mind as theyre making their decision!
UPDATE:
If you have phone interviews coming up and dont want to leave anything to chance, Ive created a new guide where you can copy my exact step-by-step method for getting job offers. You can get more details here.
End The Call With Clear Next Steps
One of the worst parts about applying for a job is feeling like youve been left in the darknot knowing how things went or what next steps to take. The good news is, you dont have to let that happen to you. Take a moment at the end of the phone interview to ask what to expect. And to make sure you dont forget, write yourself a note that says Ask about next steps.
The best way to end the call when asked do you have any questions for us? is to inquire about the next steps in the process, says Dana Case, director of operations at MyCorporation.com, an online business filings company based in Calabasas, California. This offers some insight into the timeline of their hiring process and how they will plan to follow up with you.
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Be Flexible With Your Time
Group interviews and assessment centers are usually held at fixed times. But, one-candidate interviews can be flexible. Let candidates pick a time when they will be free of other responsibilities and able to focus on their interview. To avoid an avalanche of back-and-forth emails, give candidates various times to choose from in your first message.
If youre inviting remote candidates , they may be in a different time zone than your interviewers. Scheduling tools, like online calendars, will probably convert invitations to the right time zone. But if youre adding time-slots manually, make sure to double-check.
Move the right people forward faster
Easily collaborate with hiring teams to evaluate applicants, gather fair and consistent feedback, check for unconscious bias, and decide whos the best fit, all in one system.
But First: Why Are Phone Interviews A Thing
Phone interviews are, as you can imagine, convenient. As former recruiter and Muse career coach Angela Smith points out, If there are a lot of candidates and youre just trying to narrow down who to bring in for an in-person interview, sometimes a phone interview can be super helpful. Especially if someone lives out of state, it saves the hiring manager from having to pay for the person to fly in and interview in the flesh .
What are they looking for in that phone call? Usually its very high level: Theyre screening for risks, theyre trying to validate your qualifications, and they want to see if youre a fit, says Muse career coach Tina Wascovich. In other words, she says, Who are you, what do you know about us, why do you want to work here?
Of course, its entirely possible youll get asked very specific questions that are unique to the job or your field. But more often than notand usually in addition to those behavioral or technical questionsyoull get asked the following in a phone interview:
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If You Could Have Dinner With Three Famous People Who Are No Longer Living Who Would They Be And Why
This question can offer some insight into who your candidate finds inspirational, and thats valuable information for understanding which traits she values most for personal growth. Plus, its a fun one to answer, and its likely that your applicant has thought about this before .
Look for a candidate who can provide you with a list of influential people, with convincing reasons as to why they inspire her. The reasoning in itself isnt that important, but youll want to find a candidate who can explain how and why shes inspired by certain people and ideas, and how those philisophies have shaped her own career path.
Why Are You Interested In Working At This Company
The recruiters perspective: What weve learned during the last couple years, certainly during the pandemic, is that companies want to hire people who are excited about what the organization is doing.
Its not enough to just say you would be excited to work for them. Do some research on the organization.
The answer: You need to have an answer that spans a few different areas. It can be about the tech stack theyre working in, it could be the client population that they support or the products and tools they sell. It could be about the mentorship or career development that happens in the organization. Its not enough to just say you would be excited to work for them. Do some research on the organization. Understand what its mission is, what its values are, how it treats employees and how you can relate to that.
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