The 3 Key Ways to Ace the Phone Interview
Posted May 9, 2014 & filed under Interviewing
Hiring managers sometimes employ phone interviews to get a quick sense of whether a candidate is ready for the next step. The way candidates present themselves and answer key questions will determine whether or not they make it to the next phase in the hiring process. That’s when you roll out all the stops and ace the phone interview.
Get to the perfect spot
Find a place where you’ll be audible during your phone interview – a hiring manager will only be frustrated if it sounds like you are in a wind tunnel or a crowded concert arena. Equally important is to remove yourself from any distractions. Kids and pets have a habit of finding the most inopportune time to claw for your attention, so find someone who can keep tabs on them for a time.
Prepare for a full interview
There’s a misconception about how to ace a phone interview. People think preparation isn’t needed because you can just read off cheat sheets (your resume, the job posting, company website, etc.). It’s not a bad idea to use these documents as supplements but you don’t want them to become interview crutches.
Plus, going strictly off the cuff can be interview seppuku. It can lead to rambling, stammering, or moments that are just a bit too candid. Always be sure to review common interview questions and have customized ready-to-order answers. Furthermore, have an elevator pitch composed so you can maximize the brief time you get on the phone.
Conveying your personality
Communication isn’t just composed of verbal content. Non-verbal cues account for 93 percent of all communication.
The mixture of eye contact (which is critical in Western Culture), positive facial expressions, and good posture all convey confidence, sincerity, and engagement. Obviously, all of that is absent in a phone interview. This partial sensory depredation requires some degree of vocal compensation.
Let your voice take center stage. Be sure to project, enunciate, and present a positive tone. Mumbling, monotone, or melancholy folks automatically lose points in phone interviews.
If you are looking for other tips to ace the phone interview, give one of our recruiters a call. They deal with hundreds of employers regularly and can guide you as you customize your phone interview approach.
by James Walsh
