About Phone Interviews

While nothing can replace a face-to-face job interview, potential employers can tell a lot about you in a phone interview. Communication skills are important for most jobs and being able to communicate well over the phone is critical these days when so much business is conducted via cell phone.

Significance

A telephone interview is often a way potential employers screen job applicants. Some people speak so quickly they are difficult to understand. Others do not enunciate words distinctly, or have difficulty making themselves understood without gestures and other body language to aid them. Others do not come across as being friendly or caring, even though they appear that way in person. All these things are important for employers to know because so much business is conducted over the phone. They need to know how their employees will represent the company over the phone.

Misconceptions

Some job applicants underestimate the phone conversation in which the in-person interview appointment is set. They think it is a mere formality and that the real interview will take place in person. Don't make this mistake. Understand that you are being assessed and conduct yourself accordingly.

Function

In addition to assessing your communication skills over the phone, employers can also conduct a pre-screening interview to determine how well qualified you are for the job. This is when you can ask questions about the job duties and qualifications to determine if the job is right for you as well. The phone interview can be an exchange of facts and information for both parties to decide what the next step should be.

Preparation

To find out how you sound over the phone, call your home phone number and leave a voice message for yourself. Enlist the help of a friend, preferably one you don't talk to on the phone regularly, so you can have them "interview" you and critique your voice. Make certain they will be totally honest so you can learn what you need to work on. After getting this first critique, get a second one from another friend. If it's possible to record these conversations, that would be even better so you can hear yourself. Plan ahead about how you will answer common questions that are thrown at you during interviews, such as "Tell me about yourself" or "What is your favorite book?"

Tips

To make certain your phone interview goes well without unexpected glitches, here are a few tips. Have a glass of water nearby in case your throat gets dry. A tickle that accelerates into a coughing fit could turn off a prospective employer. Have your resume in front of you in case your mind suddenly goes blank. You can still talk about your qualifications even if you have nervous brain fade. Also make a list of other experience or skills you have that set you apart. Keep this list close by in case you forget these things, too, in the heat of the moment. Take notes so you will recall later what was said. Turn off the call waiting as well. If at all possible, take the phone interview call in a room by yourself where you will be uninterrupted and where there will be no background noise.