If you are invited for an online or telephone interview you must prepare for it as you would for a face to face interview. I’m sharing with you our phone interview tips to help you prepare for that next telephone interview.
5 Phone Interview Tips on How to Sharpen Your Phone Interview Skills
Smile while you talk.
Did you know that people can hear you smile? People who listened to someone speak, but were not able to see them, were able to correctly identify when the speaker was smiling. Smiling into the phone receiver is a great way to show that you have a pleasant personality and will get along well with other employees.
Dress up.
If you put on your professional work clothes while you are on the telephone, your professionalism will also shine through. When you are wearing casual clothes, the tone of your voice comes across as much more casual than if you are wearing a suit or dress.
Keep important papers nearby.
Have a copy of the job description and your resume in front of you when you have your phone interview. That’s a good way to talk about your experience on your resume as it pertains to the position description they are interviewing you for. Have a pen and paper handy also to take notes if needed.
Avoid telephone interruptions during your interview.
A call-waiting signal can disrupt your train or thought or interfere with hearing what the interviewer is saying. You can disable call-waiting on most phones by dialing *70 first. When you are finished with your interview and hang up, your call-waiting feature will automatically be reactivated.
Remove all distractions.
Get rid of all unnecessary noise-makers during your interview. The kids, the pets, televisions, radios, and computer videos should not be within hearing range while you are having your interview.
Here are some more phone interview tips to remember during your telephone job interview:
- Speak slowly and clearly. It’s OK to take a few seconds to collect your thoughts.
- Don’t smoke, chew gum, eat, or drink.
- Address the interviewer by their title (Mr. or Ms.) and their last name. Don’t use their first name unless they ask you to.
- Don’t interrupt the interviewer.
- Don’t go into extensive details over the phone. Keep your answers short and save the details for a face-to-face interview.
- Thank the interviewer and ask if it would be possible to meet in person.
You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression.
Your telephone interview is the first impression the interviewer will have and will determine whether you advance to a face-to-face interview. Take advantage of the resources at JobPrepCenter.com to make sure your first impression really blows them away!
About the Author – Renita Benjamin is a contributing author to the Job Prep Center blog that provides articles that will help you in the job search process including information about resume writing, interview preparation, contacts and networking, career counseling, and many other resources needed to get you prepared for employment.
Get these books:
Amazing Interview Answers: 44 Tough Job Interview Questions with 88 Winning Answers
How To Ace Your Phone Interview
