Since most employers nowadays are opting for phone interviews to screen potential new hires, job seekers should know a few phone interview tips. Some employers prefer phone interviews to save time, money and to speed up making the short list. Also a lot of hiring managers use telephone interviews to screen candidates not only to narrow the pool of applicants who will be invited for a one-on-one interview but also to minimize the expenses involved in interviewing out-of-town candidates. If you’ve recently been asked to take a telephone interview, here are a few very helpful phone interview tips that you should consider:
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1. Prepare for the Interview
One of the best phone interview tips I can give you is to tell you to prepare yourself. Try to remember that you’ll never get a second chance to make a good first impression. Do some research and find out all you can about the company, their profile, their competition and also, about their future expansion projects.
2. Smile
Even if it may seem a bit crazy, smile while you are taking a phone interview because your voice will change and you will seem more friendly, poised and more confident. Of course, it’s not recommended to do that all throughout the interview, just when it’s appropriate.
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3. Time Yourself
If you want to ace a phone interview, practice how you will answer typical questions (like the ones about your strengths and weaknesses and even that awful one about where you see yourself in ten years). Then just try to limit your answers to each question to about one minute and at the end of that time, just ask your interviewer if they would like to know more details.
4. Give the Phone Interview Top Priority
Don’t even think about multitasking when you are interviewed over the phone! Don’t let anything distract you; stay away from your desk and don’t look at your computer monitor. A lot of people think that if they look in the mirror, they will become more aware of their speech and they will do better on a phone interview. Well, this is not true because if you look in the mirror, you will become too focused on your own reflection and not on the interview.
5. See a Photograph of Your Interviewer
HR experts advise that you should try to find a photograph of the person interviewing you and just look at it doing that phone interview. They say that this will help you connect to the person on the other end of the line and it will also make you feel calmer. If you can’t find a photograph of them, then just use a photo of someone you take very seriously like a well-known authority figure.
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6. Don’t Talk Too Much!
Try not to talk too much during a phone interview. A lot of people think that if they talk a lot during a job interview, they will impress their potential employer and they will get that dream job. This is not always true because sometimes, the less you talk and the more you listen, the better you will do. Phone interviews are much like dancing; take time to listen to the music.
7. Exercise Your Voice before the Interview
Try to exercise your voice before a phone interview so it will seem more confident, clearer and more rejuvenated. An hour before the interview, talk to a friend or to one of your family members to warm-up your voice. You could even try singing a little bit, if this will do the trick for you.
Phone interviews can sometimes be nerve-racking but if you are well-prepared and if you keep these tips in mind, you will get through to the next level. Do you know any other phone interview tips? Please tell us about them in the comments section!
Sources:
lifehack.org
forbes.com
jobsearch.about.com
businessinsider.com
