Questions & Tips for a Phone Interview for a Job
Fortune Magazine contributor Anne Fisher notes that an average of eight job applicants for an opening go through a phone interview. Many employers are said to utilize phone conversations to easily screen candidates. Although a phone interview is much like an in-person interview, Fisher emphasizes that a job interview done over the phone can be more challenging for the applicant because you are relying on your voice rather than overall appearance.
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Be Heard
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Michael Neece, CEO of Caseridas, a multimedia interview training company based in Hopkinton, Mass., said the biggest mistake an applicant can make is to have a job interview on a cellphone in a noisy place.
Voice is all you’ve got, and the worst thing that can happen in a phone interview is the interviewer not hearing you clearly. Neece said all the sounds that come through the phone become elements of the impression you make with the interviewer. Isolate yourself and your interviewer from all those distractions.
To do this, you have to schedule the interview during a time when you can find a quiet place. Use a land line if possible. Cellphones can be a lot more annoying because they more-frequently produce signal static.
Questions to Expect
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Neece notes that phone interviews often are like an in-person interview. The purpose of the interviewer is the same, which is to determine whether your name should be crossed off the candidate list.
Be prepared for the same set of questions. First things first: your list of qualifications and achievements should come in handy as the interviewer might let you talk about yourself for at least two minutes. After which, expect to be bombarded with questions such as: “What do you know about the company?” or “How did you learn about the position?” Have a ready answer for these. It is even more convenient that the interviewer cannot see you as you can always have your notes ready.
Other questions that may follow can be related to your current or recent salary, expected compensation, reason for applying and strengths and weaknesses. Lastly, expect the interviewer to ask you if you have any questions.
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Conversation Techniques
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Annie Stevens of the Boston executive firm ClearRock advises that in a phone interview, try to use the same language the interviewer uses. If the interviewer uses technical terms and jargon, speak the same. Otherwise, be safe with standard terms.
Avoid using figures of speech that might imply something you don’t intend. Also avoid using such words as “can’t” or “don’t” as these might imply that something about you doesn’t fit with the job description. Although your aim is to veer the conversation toward your positive traits, never try to interrupt the interviewer during the conversation. One thing you can do is silently let two or three seconds pass after the interviewer stops talking before taking your turn to speak.
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References
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- Photo Credit job image by Yvonne Bogdanski from Fotolia.com
