Asa potential employee, you hope the interview process will be smooth sailing.Today, though, before you ever get to that face-to-face interview, the chancesare you’ll have to get through a phone interview first. With an increase incross-border hiring (meaning from city-to-city, state-to-state, andcountry-to-country), a phone interview is often the first initial step. 

Employersare going with the phone interview option as a first round of screeningpotential employees because it is less expensive and takes less of their timethan setting up person-to-person interviews. This is especially so if itrequires traveling for either party. A recent survey  found that almost 60% of the 515 participating HR managers reported the phone interviewshappened “quite often.” 

Whenyou think it about it, though, most every job starts with a phone call. Even ifit isn’t a scheduled ‘formal’ interview by phone, there is often some type ofconversation with somebody within the company of a potential employer. It maybe nothing more than a brief conversation with the receptionist to getdirections, it is the first impression.

Whatjob seekers need to realize is that even if the interview isn’t face-to-face,they still need to show up with their A-game in place and ready to go fullcourt for the win. Even with the best of intentions, your interview could bemisinterpreted by your inflection, the pace of the conversation and your toneduring the interview.

Here,we offer 6 steps that will help you nail the deal with your next phoneinterview:

Step 1: Be Prepared

Hopefully,you have a few days to prepare for your phone interview. Thereare some instances that it may be a spur-of-the-moment interview, but if youhave time, use it wisely to get ready. Use a day to research the company andfind out as much as you can. Use GlassDoor, Google, LinkedIn and the company's website. Next, take a day to list questions you’ll want to ask. Questions suchas “What specific qualities, skills are preferred in the candidate?” and  mention something you’ve read during yourresearch about the company and ask how the position you’ve applied for willcontribute to the company’s success.

Theseare questions that will prove you have taken the time to do your ‘homework’ andcome in prepared. Use the phone interview to find out the things that are oftenvague in a face-to-face interview such as details about the company, theposition, and the environment. If you’re lucky, you can find a photograph onLinkedIn of the person(s) you’ll be interviewing with.

Step 2: The Basics

Makesure you are in a room that won’t have noisy interruptions like the dog, thekids, and traffic. If possible, arrange for the house to be empty of anyone andeveryone. If you can’t do that, get the quietest room possible and lock thedoor.

Ifyou have access to one, a landline is much more reliable than a cell phone. Ifyou only have a cell phone, be sure you have it completely charged up so thatyour battery doesn’t die. And be a part of the house that has the bestconnection.  The first thing you shouldask the party that is interviewing you is for a phone number so you can callthem back if the call is disconnected or dropped. 

Step 3: Put On A Game Face

Dressfor a face-to-face interview. When you are dressed for an interview, you’llsound like you’re on an interview. Smile throughout the interview, even place amirror near you so you can see that you’re smiling, A smile comes through inthe voice and this is important since the interviewer can’t see your bodymovements and posture. Prepare your interview area with a glass of water onstandby and 30-60 minutes before time, suck on a piece of hard candy so thatyour throat is moistened.

Step 4: The Invisibility Factor Is Your Advantage 

Aphone interview is very much like an open-book test in the fact that all of theinfo you need to sound informed can be right there on your computer screen.Minimize the amount of paper you have in front of you, just a notepad & penso that you can take notes, but keep the stack of bills and correspondence to aminimum. Have your CRV or resume printed out and in front of you so that youcan follow along with the interviewer.

Step 5: The 3 C’s 

Don’tforget the 3 C’s: Concision, Concentration, and Courtesy. Phone interviews arepopular because employers are trying to save time. So be conscious of theirtime and shorten your answers. If they want you to expand, they’ll ask. Stayfocused on the interview, taking notes and refrain from being distracted withmultitasking. Be courteous and polite from the beginning of the conversation tothe end. And regardless how you felt the interview went, be polite, beprofessional and say thank you at the end.

Step 6: The Follow Up

Oneto two days after your phone interview, follow up just as you do with aface-to-face interview. Do this by email and summarize the highlights of yourinterview and what was discussed. On the subject line, make it clear who youare and the purpose of the email with your name and the position youinterviewed for. This is your opportunity to reiterate your desire and interestin the job. You can even include a link to a piece you found to be of interestregarding the company and/or the industry.

‍

Photo by Berkeley Communications on Unsplash