You’ve applied for a job and you are hopeful for a face to face interview. Anticipate a phone interview first and prepare accordingly.
Increasingly, employers are screening candidates by doing phone interviews initially and identifying candidates to bring to the office.
How best to ace the phone interview?
- Prepare – do your usual due diligence: review the job specifications and the relevance of your experience and skills, understand the nature of the employer, their competition and the industry. Develop your talking points.
- Find a Quiet Space – locate a private space where you will not be interrupted or distracted. Scope out a location in advance.
- Dress for the Occasion – chuck the pj’s or jeans and a tee-shirt. The best way to get in “interview mode” is to wear the attire you would for a face to face meeting.
- Be Succinct and Listen for Cues – keep your answers concise but thorough, stay on message, and listen for cues from the interviewer.
- Follow-up – just like a face to face interview, follow-up with an email to the employer within 24 hours. Thank the employer, reiterate your interest in the position, and summarize your key selling points based on the phone conversation.
Check out this video on acing the phone interview.
