Phone Interview Tips That Will Help You Get Hired

Executive Search Consultant

If you are someone who is living under a rock for 100 years and doesn’t know about phone interviews. Let me tell you this is an initial part of the interview, where the employer wants to know about you, your education, experiences, and salary expectations.

Nowadays, a pandemic has made phone interviews and work from home more common than before. With phone interviews being common we all know they are nerve-wracking as there is a chance of losing one’s potential while interviewing.

Besides this there are two types of a phone interview:

Schedule interview

This is the one where you get notified by email, LinkedIn or can get a call for scheduling the interview (so be near your phone, it can ring anytime). This one is less hectic as you get a chance to prepare yourself.

Unscheduled interview

This is the one that gives you a sudden shock. As you don’t get a chance to prepare yourself. But don’t worry if you are not comfortable talking at that time, you can simply ask them to schedule the interview later by saying “it’s great to hear from you but right now I am not in the right state to talk and won’t be able to give this call the full attention that it deserves. When can I call you back?”.

Before hopping onto your interview don’t forget to check this pre-interview, interview, and post-interview tips below:

PRE-INTERVIEW

1. Scheduling of interview

Confirm all the details of your phone interview through email so that everyone is on the same page with the time and date. Confirming your schedule time through the mail will make you look more professional. Make sure to ask ‘who’ is taking your call at ‘what’ time with ‘which’ number and don’t forget to take additional contact in case the call drops.

2. Thorough research of company and interviewer

It is the most important part of an interview, which most people neglect. Researching about the company will not only help you build a good impression on the interviewer but will also help you understand if this is the company you were looking for. Learning about the company will help you know ‘what they do?’, ‘who are their competitors and target audience?’, etc. Knowing your company is important but if you know about your interviewer it will be like the cherry on the cake. For standing out you need to make the interviewer feel that you are the best suitable candidate for their company without telling them.

Phone Interview Tips PRE-INTERVIEW

3. Choose a quiet environment

One part of a phone interview is that you don’t need to worry about your looks and expressions. You can simply wear your pajamas or cloth in which you feel most comfortable. But the bad thing about these interviews is to find a good quiet spot. It is very distracting to talk on a super noisy background. We know it’s not your fault that kids in your house start shouting or your dog randomly barks at a car. So, to avoid this noisy background you should let everyone in your house know the timing of your interview. After which you can pick the quietest room that is away from all the hustle and noise. You can also remind your family members just before your interview starts to not disturb you. To avoid rushing sound you should settle yourself before 5 to 10 minutes of an interview. Don’t forget to take a water bottle and pen-paper beside you.

4. Cheatsheet

As no one is seeing you, you can prepare a cheat sheet. It is more of a sheet that includes points that you tend to forget during the interview due to nervousness. Writing such keep points will increase your chances of passing interviews.

INTERVIEW

1. Listen to the interviewer

While on a phone interview you must listen to the interviewer for a better understanding of what kind of employee their company wants and whether you have those qualities or not. Listen to the interviewer and write down the important things that you can use later while talking. It’ll be good if you know someone who can help you jot down the potential questions. Even if you don’t then you can look through Shrofile’s interview-related questions and get an idea to answer the questions. By listening to the interviewer try to make connections.

2. Now talk to the interviewer

After listening to the interviewer, know it’s time to make your impression on them. While impressing, you have a disadvantage, you have to impress purely with your voice as it is a blind interview. If you are not comfortable speaking you can take several mock tests for acing the interview. These mock tests will boost your confidence. For greater impact you can ask the interviewer ‘will my performance be measured?’ or ‘can you tell me a little about the team I will be working with?’. At any time you feel like you are getting nervous you can take the help of your cheat sheet. While talking, keep your water bottle near you to keep your throat clear. During the interview, you should keep a smile on your face as it will make a great impact on your voice and interview.

3. A positive ending is a must

If you feel like this is the job for you, you should end the conversation on a positive note. Use phrases like ‘thanks for considering or calling me, hope to hear from you soon, I am very interested in this job and would be pleased to meet you in person.

POST-INTERVIEW

1. Email thank you note

If you are too eager to get the job, you can send an email thanking the interviewer and showing your interest at the same time. But don’t do it just after the call ends. Wait till the half business day ends.