Acing a Phone Interview

Many recruiters and human resources professionals give preliminary phone interviews to weed out candidates that aren't right for the position they've applied for. These calls can last anywhere from 15 minutes to one hour and can be about general availability/interest questions to more in depth questions regarding your strengths. Sometimes it can catch you by surprise and if you don't do well you won't be invited to interview for the position.

Here are just a few of the steps you can take to be prepared and ace this initial phone screen:

- Research the company. At the very least know what the company's mission is(why does the company exist?), an understanding of the history(Were they always in this industry?) and recent events (Was there a recent merger? New product released? Were they in the news?)

- Find a quiet location. If the interview was scheduled ahead of time this should be simple, however if you are called at an unexpected time you can ask the caller to hold for a moment while you find a more quiet spot to speak. If this is not possible, then ask if you may call them back at a later time. This shows that you take the conversation seriously and respect the recruiter's time. 

-  Know your strengths. Go through your resume and write key strengths that you developed or helped you to be successful in each of your positions.

- Have examples ready. Make a list of professional accomplishments so that you have examples of why you were successful in each role. This can include targets or deadlines you met, projects you were recognized for or extra responsibilities you were given.

- Eliminate “um” from your vocabulary. One way to keep this from happening is to speak more slowly than you normally would so that you are focused on the words you are choosing during the conversation. 

- Maintain a upbeat and positive demeanor. Have you done dozens of these interviews and frustrated that you haven't found a job yet? Do you think the question is pointless or obvious? Do not let this slip into your voice. No matter what the job is, no-one wants to hire someone with a negative attitude.

With a little preparation, your phone interview performance can be strong enough to land you a job! Good luck!