What are you talking about when you say you’re going to pass some tips for a phone interview? You mean interviewing while wearing those sponge bob jammies? While lying on that comfy couch? That’s the dream!
No, you are not wearing those jammies. I know the interviewer won’t be able to see you, but still. Just because it’s a phone interview, it doesn’t make it any less of an interview. Phone interviews are usually conducted to weed out candidates who are not good enough for the position. These interviews are as important as face-to-face interview as it will decide whether you would be appearing for the further rounds. Here are some tips for a phone interview that would help you to make a better impression on the interviewer.
Pick a good location
You need to be at a quiet place where you are comfortable (no, not your bed and not that comfy couch) and have a good cell phone reception. You have to make sure that you are away from distractions, so keeping the TV on mute won’t be okay. Wear some decent clothes and sit at a desk, with some paper and pen handy. You should be avoiding human contact; also your cat needs to get away during the call, the interviewer doesn’t want to hear the meows. (Dog too!)
Do some research prior the interview
Chances are you may have applied to more than one company at a time, so it is better to know who you are talking to and what the company does. If you already know interviewer’s name, you can look up for his/her LinkedIn profile and get some insight. Please don’t go overboard and send a Facebook friend request, you don’t want to be all buddy-buddy with the interviewer. Also, don’t mention that you went through his/her LinkedIn profile, you don’t want to give a stalker alert!
Be prepared with customized answers
There are a lot of phone interview questions that may be asked during the conversation with the interviewer. So you need to go through a list of questions and prepare your answers for each one of them before the phone rings. You can also customize your answers for those phone interview questions according to the company profile and the type of role that you are applying for.
Smile
No, I’m not kidding! What’s the point of smiling when the interviewer won’t be seeing that? Well, your voice tone changes when you smile, and people notice that, especially when that’s the only thing to judge you. Smiling will spread some positive vibes and make the interviewer feel good, so grin big!
Send a Thank-you email
This will be the common step whether you refer to tips for a phone interview, lunch interview, face-to-face interview or any other type of interview. You need to stand out, especially when your employers are relying on a phone conversation for shortlisting candidates. Often, candidates forget to send a thank-you note or email and lower their chance of getting noticed or selected after the initial rounds of interview.