Phone interviews are common because they provide a great way for hiring teams to narrow down their pool of applicants prior to in-person or video interviews. For that reason, preparing for a phone interview is important if you want to move on to the next round. The following are our initial phone interview tips to help you prepare for your next interview.
1. Avoid Distractions
- While on the phone with a potential employer, you should limit distractions. A good phone interview tip is to make sure you have a quiet and distraction free environment in which to talk to the hiring manager.
2. Be Articulate
- Your voice is the only tool you have to express yourself on a phone interview, so make sure you speak articulately and clearly. You also want to avoid trailing off or rambling when answering the interviewer’s questions. Pause occasionally so that your interviewer can process what you are saying and digest the information fully.
3. Prepare
- An initial phone interview tip is that it’s a great time to ask any preliminary questions you might have about the job opportunity, so you should have a list prepared before the call. Also, keep the job description handy and be sure you’ve researched the company to ensure you are fully informed.
- While preparing for a phone interview, it helps to brainstorm examples of your past experiences that you can talk about. For example, compile a list of examples where you took initiative, demonstrated your organizational skills, or worked as a team player.
4. Be Yourself
- It can be difficult to convey your personality over the phone in an interview, but don’t forget to be personable and friendly. While you want to maintain professionalism, you also want to be yourself.
- Try not to come across as if you are reading a script when having a phone interview; you want to come across confident and friendly, not rehearsed. Smiling while you talk can help improve the sound of your voice and put more energy into what you’re saying.
5. Express Interest
- At the end of the phone screen, be sure to thank your interviewer for their time and consideration. If you are interested in moving forward with the interview process, don’t be afraid to say so! Hiring managers will be more inclined to move forward with applicants who are visibly interested in and excited about the position.
We hope these tips will help you with preparing for that next phone interview. Check out the rest of our blog for additional job searching and interview tips.
