01/04/13 Phone Interview Tips: Mastering the Phone Interview | Monster

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Advice » Interview ing » Interview Preparation » Mastering the Phone Interview

Mastering the Phone Interview

By Peter Vogt, Monster Senior Contributing Writer

You just got w ord that you landed a job interview w ith a company that really interests you -- only there's a
slight catch.

You w on't be meeting w ith your interview er(s) face to face. Instead, you'll be taking part in a phone
interview , the results of w hich w ill determine w hether you're invited to meet w ith company representatives in person.

Many companies use phone interview s as an initial employment screening technique for a variety of reasons. Because they're
generally brief, phone interview s save companies time. They also serve as a more realistic screening alternative for cases in w hich
companies are considering out-of-tow n (or out-of-state and foreign) candidates.

So the chances are pretty good that, at some point in your job hunt, you'll be asked to participate in a 20- to 30-minute phone interview
w ith either one person or several people on the other end of the line. In many w ays, the w ay you prepare for a phone interview isn't
all that different from the w ay you'd get ready for a face-to-face interview -- save for a few slight additions to and modifications of
your list of preparation tasks.

Here's w hat to do:

Treat the phone interview seriously, just as you w ould a face-to-face interview .
Have your resume and cover letter in front of you.
Make a cheat sheet.
Get a high-quality phone.
Show er, groom and dress up (at least a little).
Stand up, or at least sit up straight at a table or desk.

A phone interview seems so informal on the surface that it can be easy to fall into the trap of "phoning it in" -- i.e., not preparing for it
as w ell as you w ould for an in-person interview . Don't get caught w ith your guard dow n. Be sure to research the company, study the
job description, and practice your responses to anticipated questions, just as you w ould for any other interview .

You'll almost certainly be asked about some of the information that appears on these documents. You might also w ant to have in front
of you any supporting materials that relate to information in your resume and cover letter, like documents you've designed or w ritten, a
portfolio of your various projects, or the w ritten position description from your key internship.

Jot dow n a few notes about the most critical points you w ant to make w ith your interview er(s). Are there certain skills and
experiences you w ant to emphasize? Do you have certain interests or passions you w ant your interview er(s) to know about and
understand? Be sure these pieces of information appear on your crib sheet. Then touch on them during the interview , even if your
only chance to do so is at the end of the session w hen the interview er asks you if you have any questions or anything to add.

This isn't the time to use a cellphone that cuts in and out, or a cheaply made phone that makes it difficult for you and your
interview er(s) to hear and understand each other.

Odd advice? Perhaps. But focusing on your appearance, just as you w ould for a normal interview , w ill put you in the right frame of
mind from a psychological standpoint. You w on't do as w ell in your phone interview if you're lying in bed, for example, or if you're
draped over your couch in your pajamas.

Again, there's a psychological, frame-of-mind aspect to consider here. But on a more tangible level, research has show n that you
project yourself better w hen you're standing up, and you'll feel more know ledgeable and confident.

Phone interview s can be tricky, especially since you aren't able to read your interview ers' nonverbal cues like facial expressions and
body language during the session -- a big difference from the typical interview . But if you prepare w ell for your phone interview , you
w on't need to read anyone's nonverbals to gauge your performance. You'll know for sure how you've done because you'll be invited
to a face-to-face interview , w here you'll have yet another opportunity to prove you're the best person for the job.

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