Have you received an email for an interview that mentions a date and time without a meeting place? Yes, you’re invited to a phone interview . If that feels weird to you, you’ve made it to the right place. Keep reading, and we will get you covered.
However, phone interviews are not expected. You might get to go through this experience at some point through your career journey, which makes it essential to familiarize yourself with tips and tricks of this interview type to pass it peacefully and paves the way to the second interview.
This article tells you everything you need to consider before going through an interview on the phone and provides the dos and don’ts that display you professionally.
Why phone interviews?
Unexpectedly, phone interviews have so many benefits that you might not realize easily. Of which the most important are:
- Unlike the traditional interviews, having an interview by phone can ease the stress that you might feel meeting the recruiter in person.
- Going through a phone interview would make the second in-person interview more manageable. Getting to have a conversation with the interviewer before meeting them in-person would help make things more peaceful.
- It helps if the candidate lives in another city or if they are too far.
- It makes the recruitment and selection process more accessible for the hiring managers. Phone interviews act as a filtration stage that keeps only the best to move to the following in-person interview.
Learn more about some top tips and practices to successfully pass your next in person interview
Phone interview challenges you need to consider
Despite the advantages of interviews over the phone, they still have some challenges that you need to learn how to contemplate. Which would include:
No body language!
Body language acts as a supporter during interviews, which people use to express more and confirm their viability and confidence. Having no body language included in phone interviews makes it a little challenging.
Instead, you can rely on your tone of voice, which has to be formal and stable, to convey confidence and seriousness, which both combine to influence their decision.
Communication troubles
We all know the unexpected signal problems that might hit in the middle of your interview. Moreover, you might not be available when you get the call. However, it’s simple. You can reschedule the phone interview until you’re ready to go through it.
Phone interviews are not enough
For several reasons, phone interviews might not be helpful for the hiring managers and recruiters to decide whether the candidate is worth moving to the following interview. Hence, they might ask for another interview, or they would proceed directly to the in-person interview to have a better vision.
You are not ready!
Receiving a formal call that suddenly tells you, “This is an interview” in the middle of your busy day is definitely not something that you would expect . You are more likely to be stressed and nervous. If you received such a call, don’t hesitate to reschedule another phone interview when you’re expected to be more ready.
Phone interview tips
1. Get to know the company
This is the #1 tip when it comes to an interview, notably phone interviews. Do your search for the company’s background, industry, ethics, and policies, and try to gather as much information as possible.
For doing so, you can visit the company’s website or social media platforms. You can also lookup the interviewers’ social media platforms, especially LinkedIn, to learn more about the person you will have the interview with.
2. Imagine you are in a traditional interview
Having a regular interview, you will most probably get ready by learning some tips and tricks regarding how to act, how to use your body language, and what kind of questions the interviewer is more likely to ask, etc. This is what you need to be doing through an interview by phone , you need to put yourself into the whole experience and get ready.
Familiarize yourself with some standard, most important interview questions and how to use your voice and attitude while using the phone to get this opportunity in your favor.
3. Find a quite place
You don’t want to get interrupted in the middle of the phone interview because of your children, pets or any other source of distraction. So, it would help if you found a quiet place to avoid distraction.
If you get your call at an inappropriate time (for instance, if you’re inside the metro station or transportation on your way home), consider rescheduling the interview.
4. Eliminate distraction
Shut down windows and the room door, turn off any home appliances and ask your family members or home mates to stay quiet and not cause any interruption until your interview is over.
5. Print out your CV and highlight the main points
It would help if you printed your CV out and highlighted the main points you need to mention during your interview to make things easy for you. That will help you stay focused and determined.
6. Get acquainted with job description
Knowing the job description will help you figure out which points you need to concentrate on during your call, as you need to confirm that your skills match the job requirements. It will also enable you to choose the perfect answers for the interview phone questions.
For example, suppose the job title is “graphic designer,” They mentioned that the candidate must be familiar with some specific programs you are mastering. In that case, you need to reinforce this information during your interview.
7. What’s your expected salary?
This question is inevitable. Your answer has to be ready according to the search you have to conduct, which has to consider the country where the job vacancy existed, and your level of experience as well.
8. Listen carefully
During phone interviews , in particular, you need to listen up carefully as you can’t see the interviewer, and the only way to communicate is through listening and talking. Avoid interrupting the interviewer while talking, as you will seem that you don’t show respect to them.
9. Keep your notes within reach
You must have some valuable information that you got from your search. Therefore, you need to jot them down on a note and keep it beside you during the interview to have the points you want to ask about in front of your eyes.
10. Practice
Practice answering questions with your family members or friends to break the ice and be steady. You can also record yourself while answering the questions. This will help you spot any weak areas, whether with your answers, tone of voice, or the way you talk; hence, you can consider improving them.
11. Use your tone of voice correctly
Your tone of voice is your body language during the phone interview , so use it in your favor. Try to show your excitement and interest. Besides, it would help if you made sure also the other side hears you well. Again, you need to keep your voice calm and stable and avoid being rash or impulsive.
12. Hold your nerve
Stay calm and don’t be impulsive while answering phone interview questions . Give yourself a couple of seconds to think about the question ad find the correct answer. Then, talk slowly and smoothly to avoid stuttering.
13. Jot down notes
It’s expected that you will forget some details mentioned during the interview, so jotting down some critical points while listening to the interviewer will help you remember some important information that might help you make the right decision regarding this job opportunity.
14. Show respect
You need to leave a good impression upon the interviewer during those few minutes. Showing respect by using keywords like “Mr, Mrs, thank you. my pleasure ..etc.” will do the job. Also, giving them the space to talk and not interrupting is another way to show respect.
15. Prepare some questions yourself
Yes, you have the right to ask questions during the phone interviews . Remember to ask questions that help you make the right decision. Those questions would include:
- What are the daily tasks assigned to this job role?
- Would you give me a hint about the work environment?
- Who is my direct manager?
- What are the responsibilities of the team members?
- Where is the company located?
- What are the working hours?
- What is the salary allocated for this job role?
- When should I join?
16. Your body language still matter!
You might think body language is useless during a phone interview , but surprisingly, it still matters. For example, sitting upright in a comfortable position helps keep you calm while answering questions. Moreover, smiling, even if it’s not shown, makes your voice more excited and balanced.
You can record your voice while smiling and while not, then compare the two recordings to notice the difference.
17. Last impression lasts
As you have to start your call right, you need to end it right to leave a good last impression on the interviewer. It’s also recommended that you thank them at the end of the call and wish to see them soon.
18. Follow up
It’s recommended after the phone interview to send a thank you email to the interviewer, expressing your gratitude that they trusted you and reached out.
You also can follow up with the same person for any updates regarding the selection process and how it went three to seven days after the interview. However, avoid being nagging and don’t try to call them every day.
How to get prepared for the phone interview ?
- Always be professional and avoid being anxious if you received a phone interview.
- If you Trucaller or any other similar app on your phone, you most probably will recognize previously that this is an interview. Therefore, you can choose a quiet place to answer and get yourself ready.
- If the interview is scheduled, you need to assure the time and date previously.
- If the interview is via a landline phone, be sure to put the mobile phone on silent, but if the interview is via a mobile phone, make sure to charge the battery to avoid any embarrassing situations in the middle of the conversation.
- Have a bottle of water within your reach, just in case you have a sudden cough or choking in the middle of the interview.
Things to avoid during phone interviews
- Eating or drinking.
- Chewing gum.
- Interrupting the interviewer while talking.
- Talking to someone else.
- Over joking.
- Talking informally.
Top common phone interview questions
Usually, regular interview questions are not very different from phone interview questions. But of course, the latter should be fewer in number, and they should be more direct. Among the most common telephone interview questions are:
- Tell me about yourself.
- What is your experience/ work background?
- Why did you apply for this job?
- What do know about this job vacancy?
- What is your expected salary?
- Tell me about your weakness/ strengths points?
- What make you the best for this job?
- When can you join us?
- Do you have any questions you want to ask?
A phone interview is a primary test to detect if you are the right fit for the company. By following these tips, you will be able to make it to the second interview.
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