Here are the keys to successful phone interviewing. Follow these simple rules and you should achieve
success in this important phase of job-hunting.
Do give accurate and detailed contact information in your cover letter so your interviewers can easily connect with you.
When in job-hunting mode, don't have a disproportionately silly or long greeting on your answering machine or voicemail.
Do ensure that household members understand the importance of phone messages in your job search.
Do know what job you are interviewing for.
Do practice, if possible. Have a friend call you to do a mock phone interview so you get the feel of being
interviewed over the phone.
When being interviewed by phone, do make sure you are in a place where you can read notes, take notes, and concentrate.
If you cannot devote enough time to a phone interview, do suggest a specific alternate time to the recruiter.
It's often best to be the one who calls back so you can be mentally prepared.
Do consider keeping some notecards or an outline in front of you to remind yourself of
key points you want to cover with the interviewer. You don't want your responses to sound scripted,
but you don't want to fumble for important points either. Do also have your resume in front of
you so you can remember highlights of your experience and accomplishments.
Do ensure that you can hear and are being clearly heard.
Do consider standing when being interviewed on the phone. Some experts say you'll
sound more professional than if you're slouching in an easy chair.
Do consider dressing nicely for the phone interview. It may sound silly since the interviewer
can't see you, but you really will project a more professional image if you're dressed for the part instead
of wearing, for example, a ratty bathrobe.
Don't feel you have to fill in the silences. If you've completed a response, but the
interviewer hasn't asked his or her next question, don't start babbling just to fill in airtime. Instead,
ask a question of your own related to your last response.
Do create a strong finish to your phone interview with thoughtful questions.
Don't panic if you have special needs. If you are hearing-impaired, for example,
phone interviews are still possible.
Don't snuffle, sneeze or cough. If you can't avoid these behaviors, say “excuse me.”
Don't chew gum or food, or drink anything noisy.
Questions about some of the terminology used in this article? Get more information (definitions and links) on key college, career, and job-search
terms by going to our Job-Seeker's Glossary of Job-Hunting Terms.
QuintZine regular contributor Maureen Crawford Hentz, an independent career and HR consultant,
has been working with career seekers for nine years, and has master's degree in college student personnel
from Bowling Green State University. A popular conference lecturer, she specializes in large and small
specially designed workshops for professional organizations, students and environmental groups.
Her most popular career workshops address topics including: Non-Verbal Techniques To Use During
an Interview; Powerful Resumes; and Interviewing Etiquette You've Never Even Thought About. She
has a particular interest in job searching techniques for differently-abled candidates, new grads, and
career changers. Maureen's large-format lecture series will be at the Environmental Careers Conference in
Oakland, CA in mid-October. For more info about this conference, please see www.eco.org.
Proving that you never have to settle for just one career, in addition to her consulting
work, Maureen is also the director of volunteer programs and Internships at the New England Aquarium,
Boston and an instructor of American culture at Showa Boston Institute for Language and Culture.
