Taking the call: How to make a phone interview successful

Phone interviews. Some of us, mostly those who feel more comfortable not making a personal connection, love them, and those of us who feel as if we make a stronger impact in person hate them. Whichever type you are, they can still be challenging.

A phone interview is often used to screen job candidates for basic qualifications and as a time-saving way to interview a candidate who lives far away from the company. Telephone interviews are difficult because it is often challenging to make a personal connection with the interviewer. They can’t see if you are dressed professionally and they can’t see your smile – it all relies on your manners, clarity of speech, voice tone and the strength of your answers.

As humans, we rely on facial expressions and body language to gauge how we’re doing in an interview. Over the phone, you are basing your interview solely on voice inflections. Here are just a few ways you can work a phone interview in your favor:

• Pick a quiet room for your interview, making sure that no one could pop in and disturb you!
• Make sure your phone will have a clear connection. If you’re using a cell phone, check the strength of your connection in the area.
• Type or write out talking points to have in front of you and take advantage of the fact that they can’t see you. You can even have your notes spread out all over a table!
• Remember not to talk too fast and speak clearly. Also, smile – it changes the way your voice comes across!
• Don’t try to speak over your interviewer and be careful not to interrupt. If you do, apologize!
• Don’t let the call end without figuring out the next step. Will they contact you for another interview if they’re interested? Find out!
• Never hang up before the interviewer has. Make sure the interview is truly wrapped up, you’ve figured out the next steps and you’ve heard them hang up.
• Just like a face-to-face interview, you should send a thank-you note.

Don’t worry about your next phone interview! With these simple tips, you can be prepared to have a successful phone interview that will get you to the next step – a face-to-face interview!