Whether it is a first screening call from a recruitment consultant or a final closing round with a CXO, increasingly telephonic interviews are becoming commonplace; Phone interviews’ complexity ranges from as easy as gossiping with your bestie to as challenging as explaining your pick-up location to Uber driver.
Here are a few tips to ace phone interview:
Get ready
From being on time to receive the call to finding a quiet location which also has good reception; do it all a few minutes ahead of time. Scrambling to find a room after receiving the call may project you as unorganized.
Bio break
Do take a look break before the call and never during one! The other person can sense it and it’s gross.
The obvious
Have your CV opened in front of you; more often, you’ll be asked questions from your own CV. It is lousy to stammer or say ‘ah’ & ‘uhm’ when trying to answer something from your CV.
Listen
Our mind wanders a lot while we are on phone, some people even feel fidgety and start doodling; but during a phone interview, it is best to have a notepad and pen in front of you and jot down keywords and points; this will help you listen effectively.
React vs Respond
We are often in a hurry to react to what we heard but what is warranted in an interview is a response. Hear the interviewers’ questions or remarks carefully, take a second or two of pause to process and then respond with a suitable answer. There’s no prize of fastest finger first here, so be calm.
As questions
Don’t ever make the interview a one way street where you only answered questions you were asked. Candidates asking meaningful and relevant questions during interview come across as ‘interested’ in the job/company.
Research
Do read about the employer and perhaps look up on LinkedIn about the person who’ll be interviewing you. It is good to be thoroughly informed and being contextually ready to convert a mere Q&A type of call to a discussion. Candidates who connect at a deeper level have higher chances of going further.
