Many interviewers use phone interviews as a pre-screening filter for further assessments. Think it’s a piece of cake getting ready for your phone interview with a potential employer? Beware, your chances of making it to the follow-up interview depend on how well you perform on the phone and how effectively you ace your interview.
Contrary to popular belief, phone interviews can be significantly different from face-to-face interviews. They are an exchange of verbal words without any hint of body language, so you can’t rely on non-verbal cues to make an impression. In such circumstances, pausing too long could suggest hesitation or a loss of concentration.
Phone interviews require a unique strategy to succeed. Here are 8 essential tips to help you prepare and excel in your upcoming phone interview.
1. Prepare Like It’s In-Person
Many people believe that a telephone interview is easier than a face-to-face interview. To some extent, that may be true because you’ll feel less pressure without the physical presence of the interviewer.
However, this perception often leads interviewees to treat phone interviews lightly, unknowingly sabotaging their chances by going in unprepared or using a less formal tone with the interviewer.
The best approach is to treat the phone interview just like any formal in-person interview. Prepare and rehearse answers to tackle common interview questions.
Consider washing up and dressing up for the occasion, even if you’re conducting the interview from home. This will put you in the right mindset to communicate with the interviewer properly.
2. Speak Clearly & With Energy
Not having the interviewer see your anxiety might be beneficial, but it can also be detrimental. Since they can’t see you, they’ll rely heavily on your voice tone and pitch to assess you and gauge your confidence level.
We often sound different (and sometimes weird) over the recorder. Even if you think you’re speaking clearly and with energy, the other party may perceive it differently.
To get accurate feedback on how you sound over the phone, practice with a few friends and ask them to help you identify areas for improvement. Alternatively, record your voice and play it back to hear how you sound. Common speech issues include speaking too fast, slurring, and talking monotonously. The key is to practice, practice, and practice more.
3. Body Language Matters
Try this: smile and talk to yourself in front of a mirror, then compare it with talking to yourself without smiling. You’ll notice that your voice sounds more lively and friendly when you smile because your vocal cords are pulled differently. Additionally, you’ll instinctively feel more relaxed and positive.
So what does this mean? If you slouch on your couch during the phone interview, you will sound different than when you are sitting upright in a chair. The interviewer can tell the difference because your posture affects how you breathe and, consequently, your tone of voice.
If possible, try to use a Bluetooth headset during the interview so that your hands are free to gesture. Gesturing is known to facilitate thinking, help you be more fluent in your speech, and increase the level of enthusiasm in your voice.
4. Have All the Info with You
One advantage of a phone interview is that you can lay out all the information you need in front of you. This allows you to worry less about recalling the details of your resume or stumbling over a tough interview question that requires an online check.
To be safe, have a computer with you and stay connected throughout the interview. This is for emergencies when the interviewer asks something you didn’t prepare for and you need to quickly find an answer.
They might ask questions related to the company you’re applying for, or general knowledge about the industry (e.g., who are our competitors and what market share do they hold?). Whatever the question, don’t take too long on your search, or you will seem inattentive, preoccupied, or hesitant. They might even hear you typing!
5. Anticipate the Uncertainty
Like face-to-face interviews, expect periods of silence from the interviewer. It’s easy to jump to conclusions and feel uncomfortable when that happens. Don’t be too quick to fill in the gaps to break the silence, as it might give a less-than-confident vibe. Remember that the interviewer may be taking notes.
To lessen the uncertainty and gain some control, try this: Get a photo of your interviewer if possible and place it in front of you. As the interview progresses, look at the photo and visualize the interviewer’s expression to reduce your anxiety.
It will feel much more natural for you as you speak and help relieve your tension compared to simply listening and responding to the voice on the other side of the line.
6. Arrange Appropriate Time & Place
One advantage you have as an interviewee is the freedom to arrange the time and environment for the interview. Even if they call impromptu, they will usually ask if you’re okay to take the interview now or prefer a more suitable time.
Try to agree on a time when you’re most energetic, such as in the morning, and have some extra time to spare, just in case the interview takes longer than expected (typically 20 to 30 minutes).
Once you’ve fixed the interview appointment, prepare the interview environment. Common sense tells you that you’ll want it to be a place where it’s quiet with few distractions.
However, you probably wouldn’t want to conduct the phone interview in your office if you’re switching jobs. The best place is your home, ideally in a locked room if you live with others or have pets around.
7. When Unclear, Paraphrase
Sometimes you may have the tough luck of getting an inexperienced interviewer or one who mumbles. It may seem improper to ask them to repeat what was asked, as it might make you sound inattentive or easily distracted. What do you do then?
One effective way is to paraphrase their questions. Turn their question into a question from a different angle and ask for verification. This will appear more polite than saying “I’m sorry?” or “Can you repeat your question?” and helps avoid offending the interviewer.
It’s okay even if you paraphrase incorrectly because it shows that you’ve made an effort to understand what was being asked.
8. Check Your Landline or Mobile Phone Line
Although it’s the era of mobile phones, if you don’t want to risk poor phone reception or, even worse, disconnection, opt for a more reliable landline. If none is available, ensure that all your notifications and alerts are turned off if you can anticipate their call.
The sudden background tone or vibration can be a major distraction during the interview. Again, treat it like an actual face-to-face interview.
Whether you’re using a mobile phone line or a landline, check with someone to ensure the other side can hear you loud and clear. Do the same checks for volume and distortions to ensure both sides are comfortable conversing through the phone.
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