Telephone interviews are a
quick and slick way to evaluate you to rule you in or out, as a possible
Candidate. Be prepared by focusing on the questions you know will help them to
evaluate you and generally
try to keep your answers to two minutes or less.
One of the first questions
you will probably be asked is to tell the interviewer about yourself. Normally,
they do not look for your life’s history. Generally, they are getting a pulse
from you of whether or not you’re worth the time for a face-to-face meeting. Do
your best to address and give them a profile of yourself of what you have to
offer them that will be relevant to the job at hand. This could include such
things as projects that may have helped you prepare for this job or skill sets
you may have that would be a good fit with them. Also you might address your problem-solving
skills to identify, prevent or find solutions for issues that may come up. Then
be prepared to give an example of how you have dealt with this in the past.
Know as much as you can about
the job description and the company. Be prepared for questions about your
strengths and weaknesses. For your strengths, you should generally pull from
the job description as much as possible and direct your answers towards your
skill sets that would apply to the position. This is where it pays to review
your resume beforehand and know your strengths at a glance well. Also keep your
resume in front of you with the job description for easy reference, along with
a pen and paper to jot down any notes or any questions you may have.
As for weaknesses, always try
to remember to use something somewhat benign. Perhaps you could say something
about it is a challenge staying current with ever-changing technology but this
is how you have attempted to solve it, by keeping pace with an online class,
etc., in your spare time.
Try to not commit if you are
asked about the salary range you are looking for. It is prudent to say you
would need to know more of what the position entails, benefits offered, etc. Be
as vague as possible. You may also ask them what they are prepared to pay, if
the subject should come up? If pressed
for an answer, say you cannot be sure but can give them a general range of your
salary history, both past and present.
The following are some
important points for what NOT to do for an effective and successful phone
interview:
Try not to conduct an interview on a cell phone unless
you can stake your life on it not dropping calls. As we all know, sometimes
cell phones are not always predictable.
Try to use a land-line, if at all possible.
Do not conduct an interview while driving or riding in
a vehicle or walking. Not only is it unprofessional, but it can be dangerous.
Do not conduct an interview in a public place.
Do not have noise or music in the background. Find a
quiet place in your home and shut the door. You do not want to be interrupted.
This can break your focus.
Do not conduct an interview in your office unless you
can speak freely.
DO:
Research the company. You might even want to have your
browser open to the company’s website during your interview in case any
questions may arise that you need an answer for.
Have a few good questions ready to ask, including one
at the end of the conversation about when you might be able to meet
face-to-face with them?
Try to exude enthusiasm in your voice. It actually
helps if you make a point to smile while you are speaking. It may sound a
little strange, but a smile will actually convey through the phone. Confident
body language will as well. Keep in mind, even standing up during the
conversation may help you feel more in control.
Turn off call waiting. Again, you don‘t want to lose
your focus.
Have a glass of water nearby in case. Think Murphy’s
law; just when you don’t want to have a dry throat or coughing jag, you will.
Listen carefully and do not hesitate to ask them to
clarify a question. This can give you a few seconds to collect your thoughts.
Ask the interviewer for their
email address so you can write them an email after your phone interview. In
this way, you can restate your specific skills sets that qualify you for the
position.
Following these few simple
rules will hopefully help you to ace the phone interview. A great phone
interview is the best way to get to the next step; the face-to-face interview
and your ultimate hire. Being prepared in this way will help you to make a
positive quick and slick impression.
Cathy L. Sage is President of
Robert Sage Careers, LLC; an Executive Search Firm and Job Board Publisher who
specializes in the Factory-Built Structures Industries. Cathy can be reached at
[email protected]
or 727/504-5350. For more information about the company and to visit the job
board, access http://www.robertsagecareers.com.
