While the majority of interviews still take place face-to-face, it’s not uncommon nowadays to interview for a job over the phone. The setting may seem more casual, but professional resume service experts know that you have to prepare for these types of interviews as diligently as in-person interviews. Before you answer the phone, consider our list of phone interview tips.
1. Find A Quiet Space
Typically, you don’t want to conduct a phone interview in public. It’s too noisy and distracting. While that might seem obvious, we’ve heard from one or two people who tried interviewing in a public place. It’s best to stick with your home or apartment, and to use a room where there will be no noise or distractions. It can even help to tidy up the room a bit, so that you won’t be distracted by mess during the call. If you have kids, ask your spouse to take them to the park or outside or hire a sitter for a couple of hours, so that you are assured that there will be sufficient quiet.
2. Get Dressed
While you certainly could interview wearing old sweats and yesterday’s t-shirt, this is never a good idea. Dress in professional attire. While the hiring manager won’t see you, you will feel professional and therefore, will be more focused on the interview. Stand up or sit up straight and smile during the interview just as you would in a real face-to-face interview.
3. Get Prepared
Just as with any interview, you need to do some prep work before the interview. Practice answers to typical interview questions, and enlist the help of a friend or family member during these practice sessions. Our professional resume service offers career coaching, so if you feel uncertain about your interviewing skills and need to polish them up, consider opting for this service.
Research the company a bit so that you understand its core values and mission statement as well as learning some information about the key players. Write down a list of questions that you want to ask the hiring manager. Our professional resume service experts recommend that you avoid questions about salary and benefits and vacations. Instead, ask what a typical workweek will be like and what tasks you will be expected to complete in the first month. Ask questions about company culture, and ask the hiring manager what he or she likes best about the company.
4. Charge Your Phone
If you are using a landline, sufficient power probably isn’t going to be an issue, but for those using a cell phone, ensure that you have a 100% charge at the beginning of the interview. This is not the time to tell someone that your battery is about to die.
5. Take Notes
Just as you would for an in-person interview, grab a pen and some paper and take some notes during the interview. It’s hard to remember everything that is said during an interview, and taking notes will help to refresh your memory.
Of course, before you interview, you’ll need a great resume and we highly recommend our professional resume service. Our expert team of professional resume writers can create a job-winning resume for any industry, and we offer a unique guarantee. If you use our resume and follow our advice, but are not employed in 45 days or less, we’ll refund your resume payment and give you an additional $100.
