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Before we get to the root of this article, you will need to understand the reason for the telephone interview. Most people think that the phone interview is what is going to get them the job. This is a common misunderstanding. When a company is considering taking on a new person, they will have many candidates who have applied for the job, so they conduct a phone interview first to weed out any candidates that are obviously not fit for the job. This is actually a good thing, as the odds are greater that you can get the job — if you make it through this interview.<!–more–>
Although your presentation is important, a great performance is not going to get you the job at this point, but a really bad performance will lose you the job.
Length of the interview
When you are in the process of setting up the interview, find out how long it is going to be. This will give a good idea of the seriousness of the interview. If it is planned on being forty-five minutes or longer you know it will be in-depth which means many questions. This will give you time to prepare your answers.
• Always have the resume you sent to the company, in front of you
• Have any other information you could possibly need connected to the job
• Unless you have no choice, always conduct a phone interview on a land line
Prepare and cover possible questions
Having questions of your own prepared is also a good idea, but remember the person conducting the phone interview is most likely the HR person, so it is best to save the deepest questions for the hiring manager.If it is just going to be fifteen or twenty minutes, then you know they just want to make sure you know what you are talking about and are a possible candidate for the job.
Dress for the interview
Research has shown that how you are dressed and what position you are in affects the tone of your voice. If you are still in your pajamas and just barely out of bed, chances are the person at the other of the phone will know, and that will have an impact on his/her impression of you. That also goes for slouching in a couch with a cigarette or drink.
Even though he/she cannot see you, if you dress for the interview as if it was going to be in person it will help you to feel more confident, and that will come across in your voice.
Stand and walk
Although sitting in an upright position can be fine, standing as you talk through your interview will enhance your performance. Standing and slowly pacing will allow blood to flow and give you more energy making you sound more dynamic and self-confident. The freedom you feel from standing and walking will relax you. Just be sure you don’t end up running around and sound out of breath as this will be counterproductive.
If you have a head set, then use them. With your hands free, let them do your natural gestures just as if you were talking normally. This will allow you to be yourself and the person at the other end of the phone will have the feeling that you are clam, composed and self-sufficient.
Prepare your surroundings
Make sure you have cleared the area and time of any possible disturbances. Disable call waiting, so you don’t even hear the beep while you are on the phone, and put your cell phone in silent mode. Make sure the people in the area know what you are doing during that time, so they will not disturb you and can take care of anything that could be a disturbance.
It is important to sound as if you have made a effort for this phone call to go well.
This article is written by Salie Jaramin, a recruitment and interview consultant. She recommends joblistsouthafrica.com for jobs, vacancies and careers in South Africa.
