6 Strategies to Help You Nail Your Next Phone Interview

phone interview

 

Many job seekers make the mistake of dismissing the importance of phone interviews, failing to understand their role in filtering potential candidates and directing them to the next step of the hiring process. Here are five strategies to nail your phone interview and proceed to the next face-to-face meeting. 

1. Have Your Resume Ready During the Interview

Alternatively, you can type a bullet list of talking points to go over during the interview. Either way, it helps to have a guide on what to cover in the conversation, which will also help you recall important information about yourself.

2. Get Ready

Act like you’re meeting in person and get ready for the interview. This means finding a quiet location, preparing a space, and giving your full attention. If you’re distracted during the call, the hiring manager will know it and think (rightly so), that you’re not serious about the role.

3. Take Notes

The ability to take notes is one of the best things about phone interviews. As your conversation moves forward, you can cross off talking points on your resume/list and write down what you think are crucial facts about the position and company you’re applying for. Note-taking also makes you appear as a serious candidate, as it means you’re actually listening to what the interviewer is saying.

4. Smile

As silly as it sounds, smiling while talking has an audible effect on the tone of your voice. Smiling makes you sound more upbeat and engaging, and gives the interviewer a good first impression. With phone interviews, your voice is the only thing you can use to convey emotion and interest, so maximize its potential.

5. Have an Internet-Connected Device Ready

In the course of the interview, the hiring manager may ask questions to gauge your knowledge of the company. It helps to set your browser windows before the interview to the company’s official website, as well as search engines like Google. However, you don’t want the interviewer to hear you typing, so either use a mouse exclusively or a smart device like a phone or tablet.

6. Be Ready to Ask Questions, But Don’t Bring Up Salary Just Yet

The money conversation is best left at a later part of the interview process, perhaps during your second or final interview.  Then, offer a range that you’re comfortable with and anything else, like benefits, that can make or break an offer. We always recommend negotiating in person or once an offer is made.

Remember, with phone interviews, the goal is to win the opportunity to meet the company’s people in person. Your job is to “sound” amazing on the phone, so do your homework and prepare accordingly. For more job search tips like the ones found on this list, talk to the staffing services experts of Star Staffing!

 

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