Part 1: Before the Interview
“Success is where preparation and opportunity meet.” ~ Bobby Unser
With a continued recession-generated surplus of job seekers, phone interviews are becoming more intense and frequently the first-step choice for hiring folks inundated with applicants. If your resume (or other marketing collateral) or networking have earned you a voice-to-voice audience with someone in that decision process, congratulations.
Be prepared for the call. You may have only a few brief moments to make a great first impression that will move you to the next step in the hiring process. The phone interview can make or break you as a promising or cross-off-the-list candidate.
Here are some tips to help you prepare for the interview; and to make that short list:
1. Manage expectations. Plan for the interview to last from 15 minutes to an hour. Depending on the organization, you may be screened by a human resource professional, a third-party recruiter or another hiring manager. Typically, human resource professionals will ask questions that verify you have the “hard skills” to do the job, sought-for degree/credentials, aligned experience etc. Third-party recruiters or hiring managers will often ask more in-depth questions or even role-play dialogue (next series, Part 2).
2. Arm yourself with information. If you apply to a company, you should always learn as much as you can about that organization. Knowledge is power. Read their entire website. Learn their company stories, how they were founded. Read their mission and value statements. Check out their community outreach and employee programs. Read their News Release page to determine their role in the industry and their perception in the public eye. Google them to check out their online identity, good or bad. Talk to any contacts who have experience working for or with the company. You will now be able to comfortably speak informatively about the company and its activities.
3. Check out your online identity. Many employers—and the number is rapidly growing—screen candidates online. In this era of social media explosion and dominance, you should conduct a Google search on yourself. Type in your name in different ways (full, nickname, with title etc.). See what comes up. Expect employers and recruiters to check out your Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and Twitter pages. All information that is public can be used against you during your job search. Be prepared to address any issues.
4. Control your communications. Provide your prospective employers with a land line or cell phone number. If using only a cell phone, make sure that your reception will be good. If you receive an unscheduled call at a bad time or place, buy time to get centered; or arrange for another call. Make sure you have a professional voice mail message on your land line and/or cell phone. Check messages regularly. Return every call as soon as possible. If you end up playing phone tag (common), be proactive and persistent. When you schedule an interview, find out if it will be a phone interview with just one person; or with more than one. This may require a conference or speaker phone. Also make sure it will be a phone interview versus a video interview. If the latter, your personal appearance and conduct will be judged as if it were an in-person interview.
5. Set up your interview space. Avoid having phone interviews at work (not appropriate), in the car (not safe) and in chaos (dog barking not cool). Designate a quiet space without potential for interruptions, where you can have access to your computer and phone. Other items good to have on hand include a notepad, pen, calculator, appointment book or calendar, water (to quench a dry mouth), and clock (other than your cell phone). Watching the clock will allow you to pace yourself.
- Make sure you have easy access to your résumé, SMART stories, company research, questions (next series, Part 2) you’d like to ask the company and those you anticipate being asked . Write a note to get the caller’s name and title, company, address, telephone, email, LinkedIn or other contact information handy for your thank-you letter/emails and follow-up communications. Don’t forget to clarify the position being discussed. Have that job description/posting in front of you if possible. Having this information ready shows the interviewer you are on the ball and the details.
A phone interview can be just a preliminary screening or an in-depth interview. The above smart steps should help you be mentally and physically ready to convey a professional and positive first impression. In Part 2, we’ll focus on tips for success during the interview!
