The phone interview

Phone interviews are becoming an increasingly popular choice among recruiters. This interview method is often used as a screening process after sifting through CVs, and it gives the employer an initial insight into an applicant’s potential suitability for the role. As well as saving both time and expense, recruiters can subsequently decide which candidates are worth inviting to the next round of the application process.

Not everyone will inform you in advance of a phone interview. However, if you do receive warning you should prepare for the interview as much as if you were attending a face-to-face meeting. The employer will use the phone interview to form a first impression of you and to decide whether to take you on any further in the application process. Below are some of the things you can do to ensure you’re well prepared for a phone interview when it arises.

Find out how long

Make sure to ask how long the phone interview will last if the recruiter does not specify. You will then know how much time to put aside on the day, and this also gives you an insight into the types of questions they may be asking. If it’s a short interview they may simply be asking you basic questions to get the initial formalities out of the way before inviting you to a face-to-face interview. If the interview is longer then it’s a sign that they will be asking you more important and proficiency-based questions.

Find the right location

Find somewhere quiet and tidy which you will be able to easily access for the phone interview and make sure there are limited distractions. Turn off anything that may cause noise during the interview e.g. alarms, televisions, mobile phones. You should, if possible, use a landline to avoid unexpected cutting off, signal failure or battery problems. If you have children, try to arrange phone interviews during a time when they are not going to be needing your attention.

Make sure you have paper and pens in this location ready in case you need to jot down any important information during the interview.

Have access to your application

When applying for jobs keep always keep hold of your application. If you’re then contacted regarding a position you will be able to look up and familiarise yourself with your application before the phone interview. The employer will base many of their questions on this, so knowing what you have written is essential in order to answer their questions well.

Print out your CV and all other relevant documents and have them all ready in front of you. You should know your CV well and not have to rely on having it in front of you, but having the documents close by is handy in case you’re caught off guard by a question. You don’t want to be in the position of having to admit that you can’t remember what you included in your application.

Prepare

As with a face-to-face interview, always make sure you prepare well. Take note of some of the questions they may ask and consider some of the main strengths in your CV to use in your answers. Remember, you will often need to refer to specific examples in your past experience to back up your answers.

Do your research on the organisation.

Find some key points which you can refer to during the interview which will show the employer that you’ve made the effort to look at their website. Find out who their competitors are, what services they offer and what their unique selling point is within the market.

Also prepare some constructive questions of your own that you can ask the employer at the end of your conversation to convey your interest and enthusiasm for the role.

Practice

Again, as with face-to-face interviews, make sure you practice for the interview. Use the people around you to listen to your answers and give you feedback on how you can improve. Do a sound check on the phone to confirm that people can hear you properly and that you’re speaking clearly and concisely. Practice will make you more confident and less likely to slip up and make mistakes during the phone interview.