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Phone Job Interview Tips

Do you have a phone interview coming up? Learn about the most helpful phone job interview tips so you get you can get your dream job.

By Leila ParkerPublished 7 years ago 5 min read
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A phone job interview is more relaxed and less stressful since you're not meeting in person. But you still need to be prepared and be educated on how to conduct yourself during the interview so you can give a killer interview and successfully get the job. By following these phone job interview tips you will impress the interviewer and are closer to get your dream job. As with anything in life you need to work hard to get what you want. So if you're very passionate about this job treat the phone interview seriously and prepare ahead of time.

Have your resume on hand so you can reference it during the call.

One of the most helpful phone job interview tips is to have your resume by your side during the interview so you're not put in an awkward situation and unsure of how to respond. For example, if the interviewer asks you about a specific job that is listed on your resume, you can quickly look at it and have some good information about this position. It's very unprofessional to not provide a thorough and in-depth answer to a question about previous job experience. If you are caught off guard and don't know how to answer it could be obvious to the interviewer that you are not prepared.

Make sure ahead of time that the set time is convenient for you.

When preparing for the interview it's important to plan way ahead of time and double check that the scheduled time is convenient. It's rude and extremely inconsiderate to not tell the interviewer ahead of time if you need to change the time or just ignore the interview since you're busy. This sends the message to the employer that you aren't organized and don't prepare ahead of time for important events, such as interviews.

Research the company and job position ahead of time so you're confident during the interview.

One of the most useful phone job interview tips is to be thoroughly versed on the company and specific position you're applying for. It's unprofessional to not know the ins and outs of the company you are interested in working for and more specifically the job you applied for. If you don't know basic information about the company or job position, the interviewer will immediately sense that you're not taking the job seriously. Also, it makes you look lazy since you were given an adequate amount of time to prepare for the interview and research the company and position.

Prepare ahead of time thinking about the possible questions the employer will ask you.

One of the smart phone job interview tips is to think ahead of time about the most common questions and how to answer them. Nothing is worse than being caught off guard with one of the questions during the interview and giving a blanket statement. You should practice with a friend or family member and think of all the possible questions you may be asked.

Answer the phone respectfully and call them by their appropriate title.

For the phone interview make sure you answer the phone in a nice and respectable manner. You should know their title before the interview and call them by their appropriate job title. It sounds unprofessional and not friendly if you just say hi and don't address them by their name.

Don't interrupt the interviewer during the phone call.

One of the most important phone job interview tips is to avoid cutting off the interviewer while they're speaking. It's inappropriate if you don't let the interviewer finish talking before asking a question. The interviewer will end up thinking you have poor manners and that will decrease your chances of getting this job. Interrupting the interviewer is one of the things you should never do in an interview.

Stay interested and ask several questions throughout the interview.

During the phone interview make sure to stay engaged and ask any questions you have about the job or company. The interviewer will love knowing that you're genuinely interested in their company and take this position seriously. Asking questions is important but don't ask them ridiculous questions that can easily be answered if you researched the company. It will make it obvious to the interviewer that you didn't research the company ahead of time.

Listen carefully to what the interviewer is saying about the job.

Even though you may be nervous, one of the most beneficial phone job interview tips is to listen intently to what the interviewer says about the job and their company. You will learn a lot of helpful information if you listen to everything they have to say. Also, it will prevent you from asking foolish questions because the interviewer may end up answering your question when they talk to you. If you ask them a question about something they already explained it shows you weren't listening and don't respect their time.

Treat this interview with as much seriousness as you would an in-person interview.

One of the most useful phone job interview tips is to take this interview very seriously and prepare for it as if it were an in-person interview. If you take this interview too casually it will shine through during the interview if you don't answer a question appropriately or ask a mindless question. Even though this interview isn't in person, the interviewer is still taking time out of their busy schedule to talk to you so respect their time and prepare.

Thank the interviewer for the interview and express your eagerness for this job.

This might seem like one of the obvious phone job interview tips but many people are either nervous or too naive to know that they should thank the interviewer after the interview. It comes across as cold and mean if you don't thank them for taking the time to talk to you. Also, you should reaffirm to the interviewer how you're extremely interested in this job. You want to end the interview on a positive note and make it clear to them you're very interested in this position.

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About the Creator

Leila Parker

Newly graduated Industrial-Organizational Psychologist. I'm a cyclist who works, thinks and writes about workplace culture, behavior and self-motivation.

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