Nobody enjoys having to sit through a phone interview, even if they’re good at face-to-face interviews. Speaking to a hiring manager over the phone can be extremely daunting, that’s why we’ve put together our top 5 tips on how to ensure you breeze through your phone interview.
Phone interviews are usually harder to navigate due to not being able to gauge a persons’ reaction or you worry that there is too much noise in the background. Unfortunately, many companies now rely on telephone interviews as their first step in the hiring process. Phone interviews generally narrow the pool of applicants for face-to-face interviews. This is why it is crucial to improve your phone interview skills, especially if you’re planning on changing roles anytime soon.
1. Be Serious
As a telephone interview seems much more informal, it is human nature to take this type of interview less seriously. However, this is not a usual phone call. A phone interview is actually just as important as the real deal, as it is one of the crucial steps to get the job you desire. Not doing well in the phone interview means that you will not get to the next stage of the interview process, so, again, take this very seriously.
2. Practice makes perfect
As with anything, practice makes perfect. So, if you’ve got a telephone interview scheduled, practising what to say can really improve your skills. Ask a friend or family member to help you practice. If the authority of the person is something you struggle with, ask your mum or dad to ask you questions in a similar tone to a hiring manager and this will help you prepare for the way in which you’ll be spoken to in the real interview. If you re-enact a phone interview 3 or 4 times, you’re likely to feel much more confident going into your phone interview. Ultimately, you’ll feel prepared and ready to win over the interviewer.
3. Do your research!
As with any job interview, you should always research beforehand. Knowing more about the company can go a long way when it comes to impressing the interviewer. If you’re being interviewed by a small business, researching their journey and how they’re planning to grow will really give you an edge over other candidates. Not only does this show how much you know about the company but you’ll be able to tailor your answers to what they’re expecting from employees.
Note: Read through the job description so you know every aspect of the position you’re applying for.
4. Keep your phone charged
If you’ve spent all day preparing for your phone interview, also make sure you have plenty of charge on your phone. If you start your phone interview and realise you have very little charge, you’ll be looking for your charger whilst also on the phone which means you’ll be trying to do two things at once and this is a recipe for disaster. Make sure you charge your phone to 100% the night before your interview, then top it up again an hour before your interview to assure it’s going to last the entirety of the time you’ll be on the phone.
5. Send an email to follow up
Don’t forget that making a good impression goes above and beyond how you perform during your interview. Ensure that you end your interview in a pleasant way and thank the interviewer for their time, not forgetting to mention that you’re looking forward to hearing from the company in the next few days.
An hour after your interview, sit down and write a follow-up email to send directly to the interviewer. Following these steps will ensure that you ace your phone interviews every single time. Ideally, your dread for a phone interview will turn into excitement to prove your credentials instead.
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