Best
Practices - Job Interview By Phone
Do
your Research
Do your homework before any job interview. Research the
job and requirements. Make sure you read
and understand the job description. I would recommend printing the job
description, highlight key elements and have it next to you for the interview.
Find out what you can about the company.
Who is their competition? What is
their mission statement? How long have
they been in business? What does the company do exactly? Know their industry.
It is always helpful to find online reviews. Sometimes Glassdoor will even have interview
questions that a company may ask you. If you know the name of the person who
will be interviewing you, you can check to see if they use LinkedIn and if they
do, connect with them. This gives you
the opportunity to see how long they have been with the company and other
industries that they’ve worked in.
You do not want to go into an interview without doing your
homework. Have you ever been in a class where a teacher called on you in front
of your peers, asked you a question that you didn’t know the answer to? Do you remember how you felt? Did you stutter and stumble saying “umm” a
couple of times just waiting for the teacher to call on someone else? That’s how it may feel if you go into an
interview unprepared. Be ready for the interviewer to ask you what you already
know about the company. I have been in
interviews where the first thing they’ve asked is what I know about the company
and why I want a position in that specific industry and at that specific
company.
Even if you have the job description printed out next to
you for the interview, it’s important to really know exactly what the job
description says because they make ask questions to ensure that you’ve read
it. A common mistake candidates make is
skimming over a job description and then contacting the hiring manager asking
questions that are directly in the information they’ve supplied. HR/Recruiters/Hiring managers have other
applications to screen, emails to answer, and other candidates to contact while
also interviewing and doing background checks. You don’t want to ask questions
that are answered in the job description or information they’ve already given
to you.
First
Impressions Last Forever
Everyone knows how important first impressions are. They say you only have 7 seconds to make a
strong first impression. As an HR
Recruiter I can tell you I typically get my impression of a candidate within
the first minute. There are a few tips
that I can share with you to help make a good first impression.
Make sure you are in a secure and quiet environment for
the phone interview. You DO NOT want to
have any background noise. Make sure
there is no TV or radio on, put your cell phone on silent and even take your
landline off the hook or unplug it for the interview. If you’re applying for a
work from home position the interviewer will want to ensure that you have no
distractions or background noise. Don’t
eat or drink anything while in the interview, chew gum, run water…etc. Change the batteries in your smoke detector
if it’s time. (This is a common noise I hear in interviews.) Also, make sure you have a clear phone
connection and if you’re using a cell phone you want to ensure that the battery
is fully charged before the call.
The way you answer the phone is the first interaction that
can make or break the call. Smile. Be enthusiastic. (“Hi, how are you!?”) Be
waiting for the interviewer’s call. I’ve called candidates in the past who’ve
sounded like they’ve just woken and candidates who’ve sounded surprised by my
call. If the interviewer tries calling and the call goes to your voicemail or
the line is busy, they may not try calling back, so be ready. Be polite, try
not to interrupt or dominate the conversation.
It is okay to be nervous but remember to slow down, enunciate and speak
clearly. If you are stuck on a question avoid saying “um” or “uhhh” (I know
this may be easier said than done) but try “that’s a good question, I need to
think about that for a second…” instead. Be confident, remember your strengths,
accomplishments, and why someone would want to hire you. Remember what you have to offer!
Prepare
Your Own Cheat Sheet
I plan on writing my next article on common interview
questions and how to answer them but for now you can google common questions
and prepare yourself on how to answer them.
When you search for common interview questions you can also search the
industry, job title, company or type of work. Have a notebook in front of
before the call so that you can take notes during the interview. Jot down some
key points beforehand that you don’t want to forget to mention (Awards,
certifications, nominations, accomplishments…etc.). You can also write down
facts about the job or company in your notebook. I like to use different colors and
highlighters so that it’s easier to see and find right away. It’s been easier for me to find notes quickly
when they’ve been written in bold colors.
I’ve also used colored note cards and added stars or symbols to easily
find specific notes and then taped the notecards up above my computer. You
won’t want to write sentences or paragraphs.
You will never be able to find what you’re looking for quickly and you
certainly don’t want to read off your note card. An example would be to have a
note card that says something like “strengths” and then have a list or number
some things you don’t want to forget. (Organized,
fast learner, adaptable, needs little to no supervision…etc.) You have the
opportunity to have resources right in front of you without them even knowing,
but you definitely don’t want to read off a cluster of sentences. If you decide
to use note cards to make lists, highlight the examples that you feel are the
most important. Even if you don’t use any of your notes, you will go into the
interview feeling more confident knowing that they’re there.
Give
Examples
When answering interview questions you want to explain
yourself efficiently while completing and explaining each answer. By completing your answer I mean that you
want to make sure that you’ve finalized your reply. A common mistake occurs when a candidate
answers a question that requires a list of things and the candidate ends their
final sentence without sounding confident.
It can sound almost as if they’ve ended their sentence with a comma
instead of a period. Be firm in your
answers and make it clear when you’ve finished answering each question. If ever there is a long silent pause you may
ask something like: “does that answer your question?” You don’t want the
interviewer to constantly ask you to tell them more, give specific examples
over and over again or ask what you mean by your answers. For example if you are being asked what it is
that you’ve liked about your past jobs and you say “the hours” or “the working
environment” they are more than likely going to ask you what kind of working
environment and clarification or what hours you worked and why you enjoyed
those hours.
Below are examples of how
to rephrase the “working environment” and “hours” answers by giving specific
detail and a clearer explanation.
“I liked the environment” – Example: “I liked the working
environment at XYZ Incorporation because we all operated together as a team
where no one was afraid to give suggestions or ask for further clarification.
We all shared the responsibilities as a group and had open communication with
one another. By just saying that you liked the environment, it can mean many different
things so you want to clarify WHAT you like liked and WHY you liked it.
“I liked the hours” – Example: “I really liked the working
hours at my last job at ABC Enterprise because I worked the morning shift where
I was able to get up, go to work and have my evenings free to do volunteer work
at my church.” Be careful if you answer a question regarding the hours. If you talk about how you loved working
morning shifts and the job you’re applying for only offers evening hours they
may get the wrong impression.
Be
Ready For Common Phone Interview Questions
Being ready for common interview questions can go hand in
hand with doing your research and preparing your own cheat sheet but you want
to be prepared to answer any question without your notes in front of you. When I help to prepare for a job interview I
start off by giving a list of common interview questions. Sometimes the person will fill in the answers
and sometimes they will just look over the questions and think about their
answers. It is important to have an idea
of how you will answer common interview questions and then study your answers
before the interview. No matter how much
you prepare I can almost guarantee you will be asked something you that you
hadn’t expect. Have someone role play with you.
You won’t be able to memorize your answers verbatim but if you decide to
use note cards as I mentioned previously you can jot down a few key words that
will help you remember your answers during the interview. Do not rely solely on
your note cards!
I helped a friend prepare for a job interview a few months
ago and she kept forgetting a few of the example answers that she wrote down
when I’d asked the interview questions.
She kept trying to write down entire scenarios with long paragraphs. I told
her that in the moment she’d never be able to refer to her notes. One of the questions that she kept forgetting
the answer to was “tell me about a time when you disagreed with a manager and
how you handled the situation.” She
wouldn’t believe me that jotting down a few words would work better than
writing out the whole scenario. She was at my house the morning of the
interview and before she left I took the note card with that question,
scribbled out her long (2 paragraph) answer and replace it with just 3 words
(Janet, file, SS#). Well, guess
what. She called me after the interview
and told me that she started to panic when they asked her a question that was
very similar to the question she struggled with, she looked at her notes, saw
the 3 words I jotted down to replace her unnecessary amount of details and…she
nailed it…AND she was offered the position that same day!
Send
a Thank You Email after the Interview
After the interview take some time to look over your notes
from the interview. (Remember to take notes!) In your thank you email make sure
to include anything that you forgot or wished you had said in the
interview. Keep the email short and
simple. Reiterate what you discussed in
the interview and why you would be the ideal candidate. If they hadn’t mentioned what and when to
expect the next steps feel free to address it in the thank you email. Below is a sample thank you email but ensure
to customize and personalize your own.
Send each person that was on the call an email but
personalize them each differently. Do
not send the exact email to each interviewer. Sending a thank you letter or
email can show that you are very interested in the position and it can leave a
lasting impression. I recently read that 22% of employers are less likely to
hire a candidate who does not send a thank you, and 91% like being thanked,
according to an Accountemps survey online.
Sample template below:
Hi (informal) Dear (formal) [interviewer name],
Thank you again for taking the time to speak with me
today. I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation and learning more about the [enter
position] role with [Company name.] I’m still very interested and even more
excited about the opportunity to [enter examples of what you would be doing
and/or responsibilities of the job]. I know with my past experience in [your
previous experience that relates and adds value to the job], hard work and
dedication that I will be an immediate asset to the team.
Please let me know if I can provide any addition
information. It was a pleasure speaking
with you and I look forward to hearing from you soon regarding the next steps
in the hiring process. Please feel free to contact me via phone or email at
your convenience.
Best regards,
[Your First Name, Middle Initial, Last Name]
[Phone number]
[Email address]
[LinkedIn profile address/professional profile (If you
have one)]
