Phone interviews have been quite a prevalent topic for my clients this week. I received calls sharing that one client had completed a phone interview with two other clients having scheduled phone interviews for next week. With so many in one week, I wonder if this may be a new norm for some companies.

When my clients called, they were thrilled at the opportunity but nervous of what to expect and anticipate. They had many questions about the differences to expect between an in person and phone interview. Here are a few things we discussed:

Preparation is crucial: make sure to take time to properly prepare for the phone interview. Prepare answers for commonly asked interview questions that offer insight to your experience using skills, reasoning and communication strengths to reach optimal results. Commit to practice reading your answers out loud to become comfortable with answering different types of questions so there are no surprises during the actual interview.

Have a quiet, undisturbed area set up for the interview. Whether in a bedroom, office, or even a vehicle; be sure to use a high quality phone. A land line is optimal if available. Also have your resume, cover letter and any other pertinent documents, water, paper and pens, and even a couple of 3×5 cards set up before the call begins.

During the Interview: standing can help to improve breathing when nervous. A smile will relax you and your voice. Try writing SMILE on one of the index cards and place it as a reminder in front of you. The cards are also a good place to write the interviewer and company names for a quick reference.

Because so much of the important, non-verbal communication is lost over the phone lines, it is imperative to use your words, breathing, sighs, laughter, tone of voice, speed of words and inflections to convey your knowledge, expertise, confidence and inviting personality.

A few things to keep in mind. Many interviewers are not comfortable with the interview process. If they sound nervous, build your rapport by helping to make them feel comfortable in their present interviewer role.

Keep in mind also, everyone speaks and thinks at their own pace. Try to match your speaking speed to the interviewer to help them feel comfortable with the communication exchange. Sometimes the interviewer will need to collect their thoughts, figure out their next question or want linger on something they just heard you say. So, if you hear a few seconds of silence – let it be.

Last Thoughts include keeping in mind that if you have been offered an interview, they are interested in you. They are ready to move forward in their search and want to be successful in finding the right person for the job. Help them by communicating your unique value and your ideal fit with a strong phone interview and a thoughtful thank you note.

Tuesday’s Tip

The phone interview is often a precursor to the traditional face-to-face interview. It is an important part of the weeding out process. With companies looking for ways to cut back, the phone interview works well to save companies money and time.

In order to really nail the phone interview you must prepare for it – just as you should for the traditional, in person interview. Preparation for the interview includes reviewing the job description and website. Use Google to research the company to find out what is going on in the company and in the industry. Also, look into what competitors are up to and where they are headed in comparison to your target company.

Once you’ve got enough information on the company to feel comfortable discussing some of the issue it is facing, you’ll need to prepare a place to conduct the interview. Make sure you are in a quiet place in your house for the interview. If you are in a public place it too is needs to be quiet, so you can hear each other without distraction. Turn off the TV, other phones, voice mail, call waiting and any other gadgets that might distract you during the interview.

Have your resume, notes on key points you want to make, examples or success stories you’d like to share and paper and pen to write with. Also, write down their name and keep it in plain sight while you are talking with them. No drinking or eating during the interview either!

During the interview you will need to sell yourself using only your voice. In a traditional, face-to-face interview you’ve got your whole body to convey messages and with a phone interview it is your voice. But, it is the articulation, inflection, sighs, laughing, pace, the pauses, and the words used that will grab their attention. Think before you speak and listen really well. Let the interviewer ask the full question before answering – you know what happens if you assume…

Further tips include smiling during the interview to sound more welcoming and confident, standing during the interview for better breath control and wearing a professional outfit such as a suite to put you in a more formal, professional frame of mind.

Take the phone interview as serious as you would a traditional interview. Prepare, practice, and really sell yourself for best results!! Shine On—