The Biggest Mistake You Can Make In A Phone Interview

I have to admit, with more than 12 years of hands-on experience interviewing candidates for various positions, I find the biggest mistakes aren’t made during the face-to-face interview – the ones that have really shocked me have been when I’ve interviewed a candidate over the phone.

What Not To Do In A Phone Interview

I find this especially serious for those who are looking to work from home or telecommute. So, if that’s you, listen up: I’m about to save you from making a mistake that will most definitely cost you the job.

I would assume, if you’re interviewing for a position, it’s because you want the job; I wouldn’t assume you’re just wasting your time and mine by having a phone interview if you weren’t truly interested in the position or didn’t want to learn more about it. Yet I find some candidates just don’t take the phone interview very seriously.

Let me be very clear here—the phone interview is the hiring manager’s first impression of you (aside from your resume, of course). You don’t want your first impression to be, “I don’t care enough about this position to use proper telephone etiquette.” Make it a good first impression.

If you are interviewing for a work-from-home position or a telecommuting position, then this is not only your first impression but may be the ONLY impression the hiring manager will have of you; and it’s even more critical to ensure you’re conveying your interest in the opportunity—but also that you take this position seriously.

The number-one way to turn off the hiring manager and ensure you don’t get the job is to conduct your telephone interview while driving.

Others may disagree with me, but to me, this is the biggest mistake you can make—especially if you want a work-from-home position. This tells me you don’t take the opportunity seriously enough to set aside dedicated time to talk without distraction. It also tells me your consideration for my clients will probably be about the same—or worse. If you don’t take the interview seriously, then the hiring manager will make the assumption you won’t take the position seriously either; and when it’s a work-from-home or a telecommuting position, that can be very damaging.

If you’re driving while interviewing with me, it tells me you’re distracted; you’re not taking notes, you’re not giving your complete attention to answering or asking questions, and you’re not evaluating the position. I can also hear the background noise, and it can be very distracting.

It’s critically important during a phone interview to communicate you value the interviewer’s time and you take the position seriously and will do your best. Putting your best foot forward during a phone interview shows the hiring manager you’ll put your best foot forward with their clients, customers, and needs.

via The Biggest Mistake You Can Make In A Phone Interview | CAREEREALISM.

The Biggest Mistake You Can Make In A Phone Interview

Top 3 Tips for Phone Interviews

More and more companies are relying on phone screens, or phone interviews, as a preliminary gauge of whether or not a candidate should be invited for an in-person interview. Phone interviews are generally less expensive and time-intensive for the company, so don’t be surprised if you are contacted for this type of interview.

Some candidates don’t feel a phone interview is a real interview, but nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, this may be your gateway for getting in the door at a company, so don’t blow it on the phone!

Tips For Phone Interviews

Here are some tips to help you navigate the world of phone interviews:

1. Treat the phone interview the same way you would an in-person job interview.

This means that you should be focused and come prepared with knowledge of both the company and the job. One benefit of having a phone interview is that you can have company materials in front of you for handy reference. Some people like to have the company’s website in front of them on a computer screen and others like to have a copy of their resume or job description.

Figure out what works best for you and have those things available before you take the call. Be sure that you aren’t typing while you’re doing the phone interview. The interviewer may be able to hear your keyboard clicking, so pull up all the necessary websites and documents a few minutes before your scheduled call time.

2. If you must take the call from your cell phone, make sure you are in an area that has good reception and you’re in a quiet environment.

Background noises are very distracting to the interviewer and you want to make sure that the interviewer knows you are taking the interview seriously. If you take the call at a coffee shop or restaurant, you really aren’t in control of the ambient noise. Would you want a screaming toddler to interrupt your train of thought and be distracting to the person on the other end of the phone? Probably not.

If you don’t have a quiet space available in your home, check with your local library to see if they have a meeting space you can reserve for free.

3. Eliminate any distractions while on the phone.

For example, turn off your computer’s speakers, find a babysitter for your children, put your dog outside, etc. You should only be focusing on what the interviewer is saying. It’s very difficult to do so when there are other things competing for your attention.

After the phone interview concludes, send a quick e-mail to your interviewers to thank them for their time. This goes a long way in indicating that you are still interested in the position.

via Top 3 Tips for Phone Interviews | CAREEREALISM.

Top 3 Tips for Phone Interviews

#1 Secret For An Interview-Snatching Phone Screening

Many years ago, I had a phone screening interview in the nude. I was a student at Harvard and had answered an ad in the New York Times for an internal consulting position with a very large company. One day, I had just stepped out of the shower and was toweling off. The phone rang. I answered it.

The hiring manager for the job was on the line. He asked if I had some time to chat with him. I said, “Sure.” I sat down in my favorite chair and put the towel over my lap. We spoke for about 90 minutes – I was naked the entire time. At the end of the call, the hiring manager invited me to New York to meet a few other people. I got invited back the day before Thanksgiving and received an offer. I started work on January 2.

I never would have landed this job had it not been for my ability to switch into interview mode quickly upon receiving the call. I was able to do that for one reason: preparation. Even though I was naked and right out of the shower, I was prepared for the interview.

After I sent my resume to New York, I spent some time thinking about what they were looking for and how my skills and experience matched up. I thought about what I had accomplished and learned along the way.

The START Method

I used what I call the START method to prepare answers to questions I might receive and highlight certain points that I wanted to make sure I made in an interview. You might be familiar with the START method for answering interview questions. START stands for Situation or Task, Activity, Result, and Takeaway. I prepared a START answer for every criteria they had for the job. I also prepared a START answer for important points I wanted to emphasize.

Here’s an example. They were looking for someone who had great team building skills. I had done a lot of team building in previous jobs, so I created a START answer that went something like this…

“Just before I left my last job so I could return to school, I conducted a team building program for the VPs of Sales and Marketing at my company. They both invited five of their most senior leaders. Sales were down, and the VPs wanted to do some brainstorming to figure out what they could do to meet their annual sales target (the Situation and Task). I began the meeting by exploring reasons for the poor sales performance.

“We listed several potential reasons. One stood out. This was a consumer products business that relied on promotions throughout the year to hit their sales numbers. Sales were down because promotional products weren’t available on time. The Marketing department had taken ads in the local papers advertising the promotions, the Sales department had sold in the products. However, sales were lost because the products weren’t available as advertised.

“We brainstormed several reasons for this problem. Finally, I asked the team to do a flow chart of the product promotion process. Long story short, we found that they were allowing 26 weeks lead time for each promotion. As it turned out, they needed at least 28 weeks lead time to make sure the products were available as advertised. In other words, they were two weeks behind when they started, and that assumed that everything went perfect (the Activity).

“I suggested that they change the cycle to 30 weeks. They did, and the problem went away (the Result). I learned that sometimes really complicated problems can have a simple solutions. Now, when I work with teams, I always encourage them to look for the simplest solution possible (the Takeaway).”

I had about 10 of these START answers prepared. I got to use only five or six of them, but it was enough to get me invited to New York for an in person interview. And that’s all you want from a phone interview – to get invited to an in person interview.

To sum up, you can ace a phone screening interview by being prepared – even if your naked during the interview. Prepare by learning everything you can about the job and company. Then, prepare more START answers than you think you’re going to need. Practice these answers out loud. If you do this, you’ll be ready when that phone call comes.

You might be thinking this is a lot to do, especially if you don’t even know you’re going to get an interview. It is. Many people just won’t take the time to do it. But doing this type of preparation will almost guarantee your success when it comes to phone screening interviews. The extra effort will pay off. It’s only common sense.

via #1 Secret For An Interview-Snatching Phone Screening | CAREEREALISM.

#1 Secret For An Interview-Snatching Phone Screening

5 Secrets for a Great Phone Interview

Telephone interviews are popular for a first screening interview. Many companies choose this method for first interviews for prospective interns. Arranging for candidates to fly or drive in is expensive and can be time-consuming for everyone. This first meeting might be with a company recruiter. It can last between 20 minutes to an hour. Your success at this critical juncture will often earn you either a phone or live meeting with the hiring manager.

5 Secrets for a Great Phone Interview

Make the Right Choice

If the company asks if you wish to meet in person or have a phone interview, always choose the live meeting. Typically you don’t have a choice, but sometimes you will. Being face to face always puts you in the best position to impress and connect with the interviewer. It is usually always worth taking the extra time and effort to meet in person, especially if the employer is within driving or commuting distance.

Advance Preparation

Do the same preparation for a phone interview that you would for a normal one. Study the company; know their products and capabilities. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to find out what they are communicating socially. Look up your interviewer’s profile on LinkedIn to find out things about them that you may have in common. Update your resume and LinkedIn profile before your meeting too. It makes sense to practice answering some basic interview questions. Practice the answer to “walk me through your resume” so you are succinct and hit on the key points. Be ready to explain why you want the job and why you would succeed.

Right Environment

Make sure you set the appointment for a time when you can talk without interruption or background noise. Preferably you are in a quiet room on a landline, and not walking back from lecture surrounded by classmates. Always be ready to be flexible too. Your interviewer might request a Skype or video interview or a change in time at the last minute so be ready for anything.

Stand and Smile

Stand up during the interview because your voice will project much stronger than if you are sitting down. Another recommendation is to smile while on the phone. Hiring managers want enthusiastic and optimistic employees and interns. Standing and smiling is a great little trick to make you sound even more strong and positive.

Engage

You don’t want to simply answer each question without some active engagement. If you need to think of an answer to the recruiter’s question, ask the interviewer to rephrase or repeat. Engagement also means active listening so take notes about important things you learn. Don’t interrupt, but also try to mention something you have learned about the company that you find interesting or learned on social media. Ask questions naturally during the interview if it feels appropriate. You also want to save some great questions for the end. Most interviewers will ask “Do you have any other questions” at the close of the meeting so you need to be prepared. One of your final questions will be “What are the next steps?”

via 5 Secrets for a Great Phone Interview HR, Recruiting, Social Media Policies, Human Resources, HR Technology Blogging4Jobs.

5 Secrets for a Great Phone Interview