How to Prepare for a Successful Phone Interview

Picture this: You submit your resume to your dream job. In a few days’ time, you receive a request for a phone interview from the hiring manager, which is great news. However, you’ve never had a phone interview before. What should you do next? How do you prepare for a phone interview?

More and more companies are beginning to rely on phone interviews to fill their positions, and just like any other interview, the more prepared you are, the better you will do. A successful phone interview can give you an advantage over other candidates, and in some cases, even lock up the position for you, before you even meet the potential employer. Some companies use phone interviews as more of a screening process to see if candidates demonstrate the necessary skills for the job, and once that is confirmed, the candidate will be invited to an in-person or video interview. As a result, the impression you give your interviewer during your initial phone interview is crucial to landing the job.

Have good manners

The one thing that I always tell candidates to remember is that the person on the other end of the phone cannot see you so they will base their feelings about you on how you handle yourself on the phone. Always make sure that you are in a quiet place where there will be no distractions or interruptions. Any noises from family members, radio, TV or pets should be avoided, so set the stage first to ensure an unobtrusive environment.

Do your homework

If you want to impress your interviewers, do your homework. Take the time to research the company before the interview. Go to their website and learn as much as you can about their products and any other pertinent information that you can find about them. How do you think it would go if one of the questions were asked during the interview was, “tell me what you know about our company?” and you couldn’t reply. That probably wouldn’t go over too well.

Bring your resume

No one would ever enter an interview without a copy of his or her resume, right? Wrong. Even if you know your interviewer already has one, be sure to have a copy readily available to you for the call. If the interviewer asks you a question about your resume or your background at a past position, you should be able to give details.

Always elaborate

When asked a question, never answer with a yes or no. Take the time to give details using specific examples from your work experience. Not only will this demonstrate your abilities successes, but it also illustrates quick critical-thinking skills.

Show eagerness

You are trying to make a connection with the interviewer, so be enthusiastic and confident. If you were sitting in front of him or her, you would most certainly be making eye contact, be listening intently and even smiling. The interviewer should be able to get the same feeling over the phone, despite not being able to read your body language.

Overall, to have a successful phone interview, you need to prepare, prepare, prepare. Prepare the environment you will be taking the call in, prepare by learning as much as you can about the company, prepare by knowing your resume and prepare yourself. Do you think you’re ready to ace phone interviews? If so, submit your resume today.