It is hard to tackle the anxiety and jitters one experiences moments before a phone interview. If faced with a situation like this, you are right in wondering about how to equip yourself well and what all matters to take care of. Telephone interviews are often conducted as the first round screening with an aim of reducing the pool of candidates for face-to-face interviews. This also reduces the outlays of interviewing out-of-town candidates. Telephone interviews are as important as personal interviews and equally difficult because the interviewer is far away and cannot see your body language and expressions – the only possible way to impress him is to give a fabulous performance with strong verbal skills. It is not mandatory that you get a preceding call to fix up the phone interview so that you can prepare for a stunning performance. Many a times, you may have to face it instantaneously. Hence, it is important that you be confident to face a telephone interview at any moment. This would not be possible without adequate preparation. Browse further to know the basic dos and don’ts of a phone interview!
Tips For Phone Interview
Do’s
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First of all, make sure that you have mentioned your contact details accurately. This is essential to increase your connectivity.
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Start preparation for the telephone interview as soon as you apply for a job. Learn about the job profile and also about the desirable skills for the job so that you can perform accordingly.
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Do mock interviews with your friends. This is the best way to practice such sessions.
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Preferably, use landline phones to avoid voice breakages and network problems. Speak slowly and politely using simple words rather than attempting a verbal jugglery.
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Make sure that you have adequate time to attend the session. If you are busy with your work, you can always convey that to the interviewer but make sure that you mention a convenient time for another session and are ready by then.
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Make sure that you are in a place with least disturbances while attending a telephone interview. Your interview session should not get interrupted with any stray sounds or other factors.
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Reply the questions promptly. Too much time lag in responding to questions in a telephonic interview is not appreciated much.
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Answer precisely but politely.
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Say ‘Thank you’ while winding up the session.
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If you are hearing impaired, indicate that in your resume to avoid this session. However, you can attend the session if you can help it with hearing aids, but keep the interviewer informed about your condition.
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Keep your resume with you to avoid stuck-ups and confusion. Also keep a note card, with all the key points of your application mentioned on it, to cover in the interview and a short list of important accomplishments so far.
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Keep a pen and a note pad or paper in front of you to take down important notes.
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Slouching in an easy chair is not advisable. Experts say that your body posture affects your tone of voice – a slouched posture gives you a droopy voice while an erect disposition makes you sound professional and alert.
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Address the interviewer with his/her last name with a prefix Mr./Ms. (unless asked otherwise).
Don’ts
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Never attempt to fill the silence with babbles. If there is an air time after completing your response, either wait for the next question or ask a question related to the post or company.
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Don’t sneeze, cough or snuffle. Say ‘excuse me’ or ‘sorry’ if you find it unavoidable.
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Never attempt multi-tasking. Dedicate the entire span solely for the interview. Doing any other task in the meantime may distract you.
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Avoid chewing gums or any other food stuffs and stay away from drinking noisily during the session. You can wet your mouth with water to keep it moist.
Above mentioned are some important tips for a successful phone interview. Do practice these tips to give a stunning and impressive performance. Good luck!
