Mastering the Phone Interview

You just got word that you landed a job interview with a company that really interests you -- only there’s a slight catch.

You won’t be meeting with your interviewer(s) face to face. Instead, you’ll be taking part in a phone interview, the results of which will determine whether you’re invited to meet with company representatives in person.

Many companies use phone interviews as an initial employment screening technique for a variety of reasons. Because they’re generally brief, phone interviews save companies time. They also serve as a more realistic screening alternative for cases in which companies are considering out-of-town (or out-of-province and foreign) candidates.

So the chances are pretty good that, at some point in your job hunt, you’ll be asked to participate in a 20- to 30-minute phone interview with either one person or several people on the other end of the line. In many ways, the way you prepare for a phone interview isn’t all that different from the way you’d get ready for a face-to-face interview -- save for a few slight additions to and modifications of your list of preparation tasks.

Here’s what to do:

A phone interview seems so informal on the surface that it can be easy to fall into the trap of "phoning it in" -- i.e., not preparing for it as well as you would for an in-person interview. Don’t get caught with your guard down. Be sure to research the company, study the job description, and practice your responses to anticipated questions, just as you would for any other interview.

You’ll almost certainly be asked about some of the information that appears on these documents. You might also want to have in front of you any supporting materials that relate to information in your resume and cover letter, like documents you’ve designed or written a portfolio of your various projects, or the written position description from your past positions.

Jot down a few notes about the most critical points you want to make with your interviewer(s). Are there certain skills and experiences you want to emphasize? Do you have certain interests or passions you want your interviewer(s) to know about and understand? Be sure these pieces of information appear on your crib sheet. Then touch on them during the interview, even if your only chance to do so is at the end of the session when the interviewer asks you if you have any questions or anything to add.

This isn’t the time to use a cell phone that cuts in and out, or a cheaply made phone that makes it difficult for you and your interviewer(s) to hear and understand each other.

Odd advice? Perhaps. But focusing on your appearance, just as you would for a normal interview, will put you in the right frame of mind from a psychological standpoint. You won’t do as well in your phone interview if you’re lying in bed, for example, or if you’re draped over your couch in your pajamas.

Again, there’s a psychological, frame of mind aspect to consider here. But on a more tangible level, research has shown that you project yourself better when you’re standing up, and you'll feel more knowledgeable and confident.

Phone interviews can be tricky, especially since you aren’t able to read your interviewers’ nonverbal cues like facial expressions and body language during the session -- a big difference from the typical interview. But if you prepare well for your phone interview, you won’t need to read anyone’s non-verbal to gauge your performance. You’ll know for sure how you’ve done because you’ll be invited to a face-to-face interview, where you’ll have yet another opportunity to prove you’re the best person for the job.

The One-on-One Interview process

The one-on-one format is the most familiar and common format in job interviewing. It's about two people sitting down to have a conversation. In this case, the conversation has a particular purpose: To determine whether there is a natural fit between the interviewer, the applicant and the job available. Both parties will leave this conversation with some kind of a judgment. The interviewer will know whether you can fulfill the responsibilities of the position, and you will know whether or not this is the right position, and company, for you to utilize and expand upon your talents.

The interview begins the second you and the interviewer initially meet -- this is the crucial nonverbal judgment. The interviewer is sizing you up: Are you dressed appropriately? Are you well-groomed and pleasant? Next, is the handshake -- do you offer a limp-fish handshake or is it firm and comfortable? A lot of close scrutiny takes place in those initial moments, and the interviewer can get a good idea as to how well the interview will or will not go based on his or her first impressions of you. After a bit of chitchat or warm-up, the questions begin.

The conversation will usually begin with the same request: "Tell me about you." The information you reveal as an answer to this question and throughout the interview allows the interviewer to get a clear picture of you, and certain pictures or patterns will begin to emerge. Each time a new subject is mentioned, the interviewer may want to dig a little further, and the picture becomes more focused.

Behavioral questions such as, "Tell me about your experience with...," give the interviewer clues about your past experiences that can be applied to solving the problems of the job in question. You must be prepared to talk about your achievements and past behaviors and have examples of the experiences you mention. For example, if you say, "I am very detail-oriented," or "I am an analytical problem-solver," there must be examples to back the claims. Show the interviewer that you are detail-oriented by providing him with an example of when your attention to detail positively affected your work. You should create a list of your accomplishments and experiences that validate these claims prior to interviewing.

If you don't immediately offer this information, the interviewer can probe further. As an example, you might say, "I have excellent written communication skills." The interviewer can now follow up on this subject by asking, "What type of writing have you done?" Or, "Tell me about a project you have worked on involving written communication skills." If you aren't able to come up with good examples, or success stories, there might be a credibility problem. Saying you can do something and actually giving an example of when you have done it are two different things.

Interviewers are attempting to get a picture of your abilities to perform in the position that is available. They are also looking to see how you would fit in with the corporate culture. Sometimes there will be a succession of one-on-one interviews within the same company. The process may begin with the human resources department and then move on to an interview with a prospective boss, or hiring manager. It may then continue down the line to other members of a department, and can sometimes include a CEO.

In each one-on-one conversation, you must be able to present good examples and tell about past successes. When this is done, you can leave the interview knowing that you have communicated a picture that is positive and accurate, no matter how many conversations it takes.