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Tips for Successful Telephone Interviews
Practice phone manners. Brush up on your phone manners. Answer by saying "Hello," not "Yeah," or by
just barking your name into the receiver. Prepare beforehand for a quiet atmosphere with no background
noise and distractions.
Speak clearly. Hone your speaking skills and be aware of your vocal patterns. Enunciate your words so
you speak very clearly. Try not to use throw-away phrases like "frankly"..."to be honest"..."actually" ...
"needless to say". Learn to speak as concisely and as clearly as possible. Not only will you be speaking
more clearly and professionally but you will also find that your everyday speech will improve and be much
more effective.
Smile & be confident over the phone. Believe it or not, smiling while you are talking will actually help you
sound more "friendly" and open. During the telephone interview, you are judged by the same criteria used in
an in-person interview, i.e. self-confidence. Self-confidence is judged differently by phone than in-person
(where eye contact, for example, can be an excellent barometer). Instead, you'll be judged by a much more
subtle set of factors -- the sound of your voice, your level of friendliness and enthusiasm, etc.
Don't be negative. Don't ever talk about issues related to potential compensation, company benefits,
problems at your current employer etc. during an initial phone interview. This is solid advice for any first-
interview situation.
Be prepared. Telephone interviews can be requested on short notice so you might be taken by surprise
and be expected to perform well. Keep a notebook with job related information in it near the telephone. This
should include a current copy of your resume, a list of references, and information about the company you
will interview with.
• Have your strengths written down. Write down your top five strengths. If the interviewer only
asks for three, that's okay -- but you are prepared if they ask for five.
• Have your weakness written down. If asked, your weaknesses should be stated in a positive light
such as, "I feel the areas that I would like to improve on are……"
• Brag points. These are past achievements which single you out, such as: employee of the month,
a work project you completed, ideas that saved your past employer time and money, etc. Write
them down!
• Ask questions about the company. After you have researched the company on-line, write down
things that are important to you, i.e., the size of the company, growth potential, future opportunities,
how long your potential boss has been with the company, where their next step is and why they like
the company, etc. DO NOT DISCUSS SALARY.
• Closing statement. This is very important. Have something written down so if the hiring authority
says anything else in closing and catches you off guard you can answer with something similar to
one of these suggestions:
o I am interested in this opportunity and I think I can be a great asset to your
company/project. What is the next step in the interviewing process?
o I am very interested in pursuing this opportunity. What is the next step in the interviewing
process?
o I feel like I am a good fit to your requirements and would very much like to be considered
for the position. What do you think about my suitability?
Keep your answers to the point. Many technical professionals launch into long, drawn-out answers to
telephone interview questions. Because they do not have the sense of sight working for them, they are quite
unable to tell if the person on the other line has gone to sleep so be sure to be brief.
Take notes. As you talk with the employer, take notes, as it will help with both the current telephone call
and future in-person interviews.