In this day and time, a good resume is only the door opener for a new job. Whether you live in a different state or must go through multiple interviews to get the job, phone interviews are becoming more and more popular.
There are two types of phone interviews – scheduled and unscheduled. Sometimes an interviewer may call unexpectedly, so make sure you do the following:
- Have a professional sounding voicemail message
- Have your phone near you at all times
- Don’t be afraid to ask to reschedule if it’s a bad time
- Keep it out of reach of your children
If an unscheduled phone interviewer calls at an inconvenient time, say something along the lines of “Great to hear from you. I am not able to give this call the attention it deserves at the moment, when can I give you a call back?” No one will be angry at you or punish you for being honest!
Luckily, most phone interview you will encounter will be scheduled. In that case, here are some tips to be prepared and make your interview over the phone as successful as possible.
Do your homework.
Thoroughly research the company/clinic/hospital beforehand, just as if you were preparing to meet in person. Expect some variation on the question, “What do you know about us?” One of the perks of a phone interview is that you can have a “cheat sheet” in front of you!
Create a comfortable environment.
If you don’t have a lot of experience with phone interviews, you might find them more stressful than live ones! If that’s the case, then do everything you can to feel at ease. Shut out distractions and eliminate any background noise (children, pets, washing machines). Have a glass of water handy and make sure to print out your resume and mark the key parts that you want to highlight in the conversation.
Act like you would in an in-person interview.
This means dress for the part as well! Be ready ten minutes early and take notes on paper instead of on the computer. Sometimes the clicking of the keys may be distracting to the interviewer. Also, make sure your cell phone is fully charged and that you’ve turned off any notifications on your phone that could distract you during the interview.
Phone interviews have advantages and disadvantages but are mostly the same. As long as you are prepared, focused and let your personality shine through the phone as much as possible, you will leave a lasting positive impression!
Have you had an especially good or bad phone interview experience? Do you prefer doing interviews in person? We’d love to hear from you! Good luck on all of your interviewing endeavors!
