Companies are increasingly conducting the first round of interviews by telephone. It makes sense... No-one needs to travel and it's easier to stay on track, time-wise.
This can present an ideal opportunity for you to shine, especially if you're not happy with your appearance. It's a level playing field where appearance doesn't count.
But hold on... Just because the interviewer can't see you, don't think you can attend the interview wearing your PJs or a scruffy old track suit; this is still a formal interview and you should prepare accordingly.
Before the interview
You must treat telephone interviews as you would any other interview.
If you're applying for a telephone sales, call centre or telephonist role, then you're in luck as you can use the telephone interview to demonstrate your excellent telephone manner.
Prepare for the interview by researching the company, its marketplace and the job itself.
Make sure you're available and ready at least 10 minutes before the telephone appointment - just in case the interviewer phones you a little earlier than planned. And make sure that the phoneline is kept free for the call and, if possible, make sure they call you on a landline. The call quality will be much clearer and hopefully there won't be any echo on the line.
Make sure you're somewhere quiet for the call with no background noise - that includes family, pets, TV, radio, washing machine, kettle, traffic, etc. All noise will be amplified down the phone so it's really important that you are somewhere quiet without any interruptions or distractions.
It may sound obvious, but use the loo before the interview so you don't get caught short! You might be on the phone for some time.
Dress for the interview as if it were a face-to-face meeting. Although no-one will see you, it will help put you in the right mindset.
Have all your papers laid out before you - the job description, cover letter, CV and your list of questions (these are the questions you will have prepared when you did your research). You'll also need a notepad and pen to jot down any information or questions.
Keep some tissues handy and a glass of water to hand. The tissues are in case you need to sneeze or blow your nose, by the way.... Not in case you burst into floods of tears during the interview! The water should be at room temperature as cold water can play havoc with your vocal cords - especially if you're a little nervous.
When the phone rings, let it ring a couple of times before picking up. If you pick it up immediately, the caller may not have heard it ring which can throw them off guard and cause an awkward start to the interview.
During the interview
Take a deep breath, smile and pick up the phone. Answer with a cheerful "Good morning, [James Watson] speaking". Practice this until it feels natural. You'll need to use this style when you start work so you ought to get used to it ASAP.
Sit up straight. Or you can stand up during the call but don't pace about and don't be tempted to multi-task or check your emails. Stay focussed.
Keep smiling! It may sound a little ridiculous but smiling makes you sound brighter and more positive. It comes across to the interviewer that you're a cheerful, positive person - exactly the sort of person they'd like to employ!
When the interview draws to a close, it's fine to ask what the next stage will be and when you can expect to hear from them.
Finish the call politely. "Goodbye, it's been a pleasure talking with you... learning about the role... hearing more about the project..." Choose suitable words to match the situation.
Keep smiling and good luck!
This can present an ideal opportunity for you to shine, especially if you're not happy with your appearance. It's a level playing field where appearance doesn't count.
But hold on... Just because the interviewer can't see you, don't think you can attend the interview wearing your PJs or a scruffy old track suit; this is still a formal interview and you should prepare accordingly.
Before the interview
You must treat telephone interviews as you would any other interview.
If you're applying for a telephone sales, call centre or telephonist role, then you're in luck as you can use the telephone interview to demonstrate your excellent telephone manner.
Prepare for the interview by researching the company, its marketplace and the job itself.
Make sure you're available and ready at least 10 minutes before the telephone appointment - just in case the interviewer phones you a little earlier than planned. And make sure that the phoneline is kept free for the call and, if possible, make sure they call you on a landline. The call quality will be much clearer and hopefully there won't be any echo on the line.
Make sure you're somewhere quiet for the call with no background noise - that includes family, pets, TV, radio, washing machine, kettle, traffic, etc. All noise will be amplified down the phone so it's really important that you are somewhere quiet without any interruptions or distractions.
It may sound obvious, but use the loo before the interview so you don't get caught short! You might be on the phone for some time.
Dress for the interview as if it were a face-to-face meeting. Although no-one will see you, it will help put you in the right mindset.
Have all your papers laid out before you - the job description, cover letter, CV and your list of questions (these are the questions you will have prepared when you did your research). You'll also need a notepad and pen to jot down any information or questions.
Keep some tissues handy and a glass of water to hand. The tissues are in case you need to sneeze or blow your nose, by the way.... Not in case you burst into floods of tears during the interview! The water should be at room temperature as cold water can play havoc with your vocal cords - especially if you're a little nervous.
When the phone rings, let it ring a couple of times before picking up. If you pick it up immediately, the caller may not have heard it ring which can throw them off guard and cause an awkward start to the interview.
During the interview
Take a deep breath, smile and pick up the phone. Answer with a cheerful "Good morning, [James Watson] speaking". Practice this until it feels natural. You'll need to use this style when you start work so you ought to get used to it ASAP.
Sit up straight. Or you can stand up during the call but don't pace about and don't be tempted to multi-task or check your emails. Stay focussed.
Keep smiling! It may sound a little ridiculous but smiling makes you sound brighter and more positive. It comes across to the interviewer that you're a cheerful, positive person - exactly the sort of person they'd like to employ!
When the interview draws to a close, it's fine to ask what the next stage will be and when you can expect to hear from them.
Finish the call politely. "Goodbye, it's been a pleasure talking with you... learning about the role... hearing more about the project..." Choose suitable words to match the situation.
Keep smiling and good luck!
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