9 times out of 10 when you ask somebody how they feel about doing a phone interview they’ll make a face and say something like “oh I hate phone interviews” or “those are hard, I don’t like them.” At a school like LIM College where we are required to complete at least three internships, you are bound to come face to face with the dreaded phone interview. Now, if you can relate to any of the statements above, you’re in luck. I wouldn’t call myself a phone interview expert, but I can say I’ve had a phone interview and gotten offered a job on the spot. Here are a few tips to help you nail that phone interview:
Submit your resume before hand
This should be a given, but make sure whomever you are interviewing with has a copy of your resume. Send your resume at least a few hours if not a day before you are interviewing that way they can look it over and prepare for your interview before they call you. It’s also a good idea to have your resume on hand that way you can have it in front of you for reference.
Be aware of your surroundings
Make sure you are sitting in an area that’s quiet and where you won’t face any interruptions. I was once on a phone interview and the person interviewing me actually had music playing in the background. It was really distracting and made me feel like she didn’t really care about our conversation. Make sure your TV is turned off, there is no music playing, and there won’t be anyone coming in and out, because you want to come off as professional even though you aren’t sitting directly in front of the person interviewing you.
Be yourself
Be yourself. It’s not supposed to feel fake or forced. If you feel this way, you are probably doing something wrong. Tackle it like this pretend like you’re on a phone call with your best friend. You wouldn’t sit on the phone with your friend and read off your resume word for word would you? The conversation should feel genuine, and remember if you’re feeling nervous, they can’t see you so don’t sweat it too much.
Ask questions
Like in any interview you should be asking questions. Since you aren’t sitting directly in front of someone and getting a sense for what a day in the office, store etc., would feel like you need to be asking questions. It is also extremely important to ask about a second interview, next steps in the process and how long they think it will be before they reach back out to you with next steps or an offer.
Follow up
Make sure you are following up with the person who interviewed them. Just sending a quick email thanking them for there time and letting them know you are looking forward to hearing from them will set you apart from your competition who forget to send the all important follow up email.
Happy interviewing!