You have perfected your CV, registered with all the relevant job sites and recruitment agents , perfected your interview skills and now you wait for the interview requests to flood in. Would it surprise you to know that the first interview with your prospective new employer is likely to be a phone interview? In our increasingly busy and interconnected world, many employers are finding are using a variety of different ways to hold preliminary interviews. These include phone and video phone and today we are taking a closer look at how to ace that phone interview.
- Take it as seriously as a face to face interview
Even though this is over the phone , it is your first contact with the employer so you should take it as seriously as a ‘regular ‘ interview. Make sure you get plenty of rest and that you are well prepared.
- Remove Distractions
Whether you are having the interview in your kitchen, your bedroom or even in an office at your current work place(!), make sure there are minimal distractions. The last thing you want is for a interviewer to have to battle with a tv or radio to make themselves heard. Turn off any phone notifications and put your other devices on silent.
- Prepare and Research
As with any other interview, make sure you are well prepared. You are bound to be nervous and there are some easy ways to deal with your interview nerves. You will also need to make sure you do plenty of research into your prospective employer. Read as much as you can about this role and the company. Social media is a fantastic tool for finding about the company’s strategy, their competition and possibly about the people interviewing you. Make sure you have prepared a list of relevant questions and that you have prepared answers for the most commonly asked questions.
- Take it slowly
Remember to speak slowly and succintly during the interview. Take a short breath before you start answering, this buys you some time and allows you to think about your answer. This is also ensures that the interviewer has stopped speaking completely before you start talking. The last thing you want is to be speaking over the interviewer.
Remember to take pauses during your answers and speak slowly. Again, pausing will allow you to gather your thoughts. It is very common for people to waffle during a phone interview as they can’t see the interviewer ‘s face. Try and keep your answers short whilst making sure you include all the relevant detail.
- Smile
Yes, believe it or not, you should be smiling during your phone interview! Smiling changes the tone of your voice and the interviewer will pick that up. It will make you sound enthustiastic and energetic. It will also make you FEEL more upbeat and positive, which will obviously have a positive effect on your performance.
