Master the art of phone interviews

You just got word that you have landed a job interview with a company that really interests you — only there’s a slight catch.

You won’t be meeting your interviewer(s) face to face. Instead, you’ll be taking part in a phone interview, the results of which will determine whether you’re invited to meet the company representatives in person.

Many companies use phone interviews as an initial employment screening technique for a variety of reasons. Because they’re generally brief, phone interviews save companies time.

They also serve as a more realistic screening alternative for cases in which companies are considering out-of-town (or out-of-province 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 with either one person or several people on the other end of the line.

In many ways, the way you prepare for a phone interview isn’t all that different from the way you’d get ready for a face-to-face interview — save for a few slight additions to and modifications of your preparation list.

Here’s what to do to avoid any goof-ups:

Treat the phone interview seriously, just as you would a face-to-face interview. 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 well as you would for an in-person interview.

Don’t get caught with your guard down. Be sure to research the company, study the job description, and rehearse your responses to anticipated questions, just as you would for any other interview.

Have your resume and cover letter in front of you. You’ll almost certainly be asked about some of the information that appears on these documents.

You might also want to have in front of you any other supporting materials that relate to information in your resume and cover letter, like documents you’ve designed or written, a portfolio of your various projects, or the written position description from your past positions.

Make a cheat sheet. Jot down a few notes about the most critical points you want to make with your interviewer(s). Are there certain skills and experiences you want to emphasise?

Do you have certain interests you want your interviewer(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 when the interviewer asks you if you have any questions or anything to add.

Get a high-quality phone. This isn’t the time to use a mobile phone that cuts in and out, or a cheap telephone set that makes it difficult for you and your interviewer(s) to hear and understand each other.