Phone Interview Tips and Phone Interview Questions

Phone Interview Tips 

A phone interview sounds easy, doesn't it? You don't have to get dressed in your best interview attire, travel to a company's office, or interview one-on-one with a hiring manager. Instead, you're interviewing on the phone from the comfort of home. 

It's not as easy as it seems though. You can blow a phone interview just as easily as you can blow an in-person interview. Dropped calls, background noise, not knowing about the company, and/or not being prepared to respond to interview questions can knock you out of contention for a job.

Review these tips for how to conduct a phone interview and what not to do when you're interviewing via the telephone to make sure your phone interviews get you to the next step in the hiring process.

Follow these phone interview tips and make it your business to secure a face-to-face meeting:

1. Preparation
Have a physical copy of your resume and the job description in front of you during the call. Type up a bulleted list of items you want to cover during the conversation. As each one gets satisfied, cross it off the list. Take some time to research the job and the company. The more prepared you are for the interview, the smoother it will go.

2. Have Web access
It’s always best to give your full concentration to the interview, listening and answering questions diligently. However, also take advantage of the fact that the interviewer can’t see you. Open up the company’s website in your browser and have another window open to the search engine of your choice. But be sure to never let the interviewer hear you typing. Invest in a quiet keyboard or practice the art of silent typing.

3. Use a landline
Unless your cell phone service is 100% all the time, use a land line instead of a cell phone. That way you won't have to worry about dropped calls and getting disconnected.

4. Turn off call waiting 
If you have call waiting turn it off. The beep of an incoming call is distracting and can make you lose your focus.

5. No pets allowed
If you conduct the phone interview from home, do it in a pet-free room. Make sure your cat, dog or bird is occupied and safe in another room, so barking and meowing is out of earshot. As cuddly as they might be, don’t give a pet the opportunity to be a distraction during this important phone call.

6. Have a glass of water nearby
There isn't much worse than having a tickle in your throat or a cough starting when you need to talk on the phone. Have a glass of water handy so you can take a quick sip if your mouth gets dry or there's a catch in your throat

7. Answer the phone with your name
To avoid an awkward start to the call, take charge by answering the phone by stating your name. This lets the person on the other line know exactly who you are and saves them the trouble of asking for you. It also helps to have a “pleasantry in your pocket” ready to go. Know exactly how you will greet the caller and start the conversation.

8. Smile
Smiling when you speak brings energy and excitement to your voice. When speaking on the phone, your voice actually loses about half of its energy during transmission. Make sure your enthusiasm gets across by overcompensating.

9. Pay attention to body language
This might sound strange, but your body language matters on the phone almost as much as it does during a face-to-face meeting. Focus on the interviewer, smile, and think positive, you'll make a better impression. Hold your body in an upright position and don’t be afraid to use your hands to be expressive. If you are the type of person who is on the move when on the phone, give yourself an enclosed area that is large enough so you avoid wondering from room to room.

10. Mute
If you need to take a sip of water or handle a situation outside of the interview, the mute button can be your best friend. On most phones, the person on the other line will never know you hit the button. However, it’s always a good idea to test “mute” before the call to see if the person on the other line gets an indication that it’s been activated.

11. Be honest
If a major distraction occurs during the phone interview, mention it. Your honesty will likely be appreciated; after all, the person on the other line is human too and has likely encountered a similar situation. The worst thing you can do is attempt to cover up something that takes you out of the moment, because it could make you look like you weren’t paying attention.

12. Be ready
Prepare all of the materials you will need for the interview and be at the location of the call at least five minutes early. The interviewer can call early; in fact, some hiring agents use this as a tactic to test candidates.

13. Convince
You must convince the interviewer that having you come into the office for a meeting will not waste their time. Make sure that your answers during the call reiterate your experience, interest in the position, and desire to continue the conversation in person.

14. Say thanks
Unlike a face-to-face interview, there’s no commute afterwards. Send a thank-you note an hour or two after the phone interview. This helps you close the loop and reiterate your interest in wanting to meet the interviewer in person. The goal of a phone interview is to get a face-to-face meeting; don’t be bashful about making this request. If you can't send the email right away, make several notes about the call while they're fresh in your mind. These will come in handy when you send the thank-you note later in the day.

15. Don’t talk about money
Career coaches always say to hold off on discussing salary until the end of the process. But in reality, the interviewer knows you might attempt to do this and may try to force the issue. After all, determining an employee’s desired salary is part of the filtering process, which is why they are conducting a phone interview in the first place. Try to keep your answer vague by telling the employer that you need a better understanding of the total compensation package until you can state your desired salary. Phrases like, “I’m negotiable,” “I’d rather discuss compensation in person,” or “I currently make X but am looking to make Y” can often get the interviewer to move on.

Phone Interview Questions 

Phone interviews are conducted just like in-person interviews. It's important to take time to review the typical phone interview questions you'll be asked and to prepare answers. In addition, plan on being prepared for a phone conversation about your background and skills. 

Phone Interview Questions About Your Background

• Name of company, job title and job description, dates of employment.
• What were your starting and final levels of compensation?
• What were your responsibilities?
• What major challenges and problems did you face? How did you handle them?
• Why are you leaving your job?
• What are your salary expectations?

Phone Interview Questions About the New Job and the Company

• What interests you about this job?
• Why do you want this job?
• What applicable attributes / experience do you have?
• Are you overqualified for this job?
• What can you do for this company?
• What do you know about this company?
• Why do you want to work here?
• What challenges are you looking for in a position?
• What can you contribute to this company?
• Are you willing to travel?
• Is there anything I haven't told you about the job or company that you would like to know? 

Phone Interview Questions About You

• What are you looking for in your next job? What is important to you?
• What is your greatest weakness?
• What is your greatest strength?
• Describe a typical work week.
• How would you describe the pace at which you work?
• How do you handle stress and pressure?
• What motivates you?
• Tell me about yourself.
• Questions about your career goals.
• What type of work environment do you prefer?
• How do you evaluate success?

While keeping all of these tips in mind, don’t lose sight of your phone interview mission: to earn an in-person meeting, convince them to love you, and get an amazing job offer.