Phone Interview Tips

[Anonymous]

I'm not too bad at in-person interviews, but i really suck at phone ones. Had one yesterday for treasury and really didn't do well which sucks because it would be a sort-of dream job for me.

Do you guys have any tips for doing well on phone interviews? I find that I ramble way too much and I just struggle in general building rapport or having the interview go smoothly - which in turn makes me nervous and I end up bombing routine questions that I would do well at otherwise.

[Anonymous]

I have a hard time, too. I find that I do much better at home, when I don't have to worry about colleagues hearing and I can stand up and walk around with cordless handset - there is something about this that makes my voice more solid and direct. I write a script and practice it, so I don't have to refer to it but I know it is there if I get flustered or the conversation goes on a tangent and I need to steer it back. Finally, practice smiling and picturing yourself smiling to the interviewer, to come off as friendly and excited.

[Anonymous]

OP here - thanks PP. I do try to take my phone interviews at home so I can't even chalk it up to that. I've always been a very poor talker on the phone. Either too much silence or i talk over/cut off the other person.

Furthermore, I don't talk much in general so after 20 minutes my throat starts to hurt, iwant to sip water, but i get nervous - i'm just a wreck on the phone.

I guess i am a visual communicator in that i need to see body cues, etc.

[Anonymous]

Watch the power poses Ted Talks, and use those techniques to pump yourself up before getting on the phone, and during the interview. Take a breath when the other person stops talking before you start to make sure they were actually done. Have your resume sitting out in front of you. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Dress in your interview clothes even if you are at home. It will help you feel like it's formal and business-like.

[Anonymous]

Try to sit during the interview. When I'm at home, I will often fidget/move around a lot. That, in turn, makes me sound breathless on the phone. I hate it!

[Anonymous]

Put a picture of a person who you are talking to on your computer. (obviously not the actual person). Talk to the person during the interview.

Ask good friends / family to call you at least once a week to chat. Tell them you are trying to improve your phone presence. You need to practice!

[Anonymous]

OP here - I wonder if it is an age thing. I'm a millennial and people in my age group NEVER talk on the phone anymore.

Have the more experienced forumistas noticed a generational difference when it comes to comfort on the phone?

9:53 - great advice. I just realized I rarely am on the phone (even professionally).

[Anonymous]

Practice makes perfect. Find your own comfort zone. For instance, I can't imagine dressing up for a phone interview. Last time I did this, it was miserably hot. Let's just say I was quite... underdressed during my interviews. Got an offer I could not refuse. So will you. Good luck

[Anonymous]

Look at yourself in the mirror during the interview.

[Anonymous]

First, I agree posters about pretending it's a face to face and having a mirror and wearing your interview clothes, and sitting up straight just as you would a real interview, and smiling at the greeting, just as you would a real interview.

Also, I think it's really important in phone calls to reflect back what you heard. Miscommunication is a major reason to flunk an interview. If you come across as a careful listener, it will make good strides in getting you to a face to face interview. So here's an example. Interviewer says on the phone: "We need someone who can come in and hit the ground rolling. How comfortable are you in these kinds of situations?" You: don't jump into an answer about what you'd do or how you'd handle it. Instead, you: <smile> and reflect their words back. "I hear you saying you need someone who can come in and immediately start the job. Is that right?" The reason this is really important is because on a phone, a lot of information is lost. You want clarity on what is actually being asked. Reflecting back is a great way of demonstrating listening but also getting more information, so your answer is most likely to resonate and be useful to the interviewer.

[Anonymous]

For telephone interviews, I have my resume, cover letter, and notes / talking points for myself in front of me. If you can anticipate some lines of questioning, you can prepare notes for yourself on those and have them in front of you.

I agree the lack of in-person rapport and visual cues is a disadvantage, but I view having my notes in front of me as an advantage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here - I wonder if it is an age thing. I'm a millennial and people in my age group NEVER talk on the phone anymore.

Have the more experienced forumistas noticed a generational difference when it comes to comfort on the phone?

9:53 - great advice. I just realized I rarely am on the phone (even professionally).

See if they'd be willing to do a texting interview.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here - I wonder if it is an age thing. I'm a millennial and people in my age group NEVER talk on the phone anymore.

Have the more experienced forumistas noticed a generational difference when it comes to comfort on the phone?

9:53 - great advice. I just realized I rarely am on the phone (even professionally).

See if they'd be willing to do a texting interview.

that's funny.

The best interviews I've done were where I apply, and then I get emailed a set of short-answer essay questions. and then I get called in for however many rounds of interviews there are.

I also don't mind so much behavioral 'fit' questions on the phone - technical questions on the phone are a complete disaster for me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Also, I think it's really important in phone calls to reflect back what you heard.

To a point. Answering every question with a question may not work as well as you hope...