5 Tips for Acing the Phone Interview

Think a phone interview is easier than an in-person one? It may seem so on the surface, but in fact there are a couple of ways in which it is harder.

The most obvious way is that you have to project your personality and personal brand without a visual. The interviewer can't see your eyes, your smile, or your body language and so you have to rely in part on how you sound to make the connection.

Another way it's harder is that the format lends itself less well to the conversational back-and-forth that enables you to make a personal connection and communicate your reasons for why you should be hired.

Here are some tips to help you succeed in the phone interview format:

1. Be sure to be in a quiet place (or reschedule until you can be) and free of distractions (don't be checking your email or IMing while you are interviewing!).

2. Stand up (walk around if you like) and smile slightly as you talk. Do these things and your voice will project better, be more energetic, and have greater warmth. If you can convey to the interviewer simply through the way you sound that you are an upbeat, outgoing, and lively person, you have already done something important.

3. The interview is apt to be more scripted than the in-person interview, so try to answer each scripted question in a way that helps you branch out into what the company is looking for in terms of this particular hire. If you can find out what constitutes success in this position six months down the road you will be much more able to communicate how your skills and experience would make you a low-risk hire. The back-and-forth of a conversation gives you much more freedom to make your case for yourself as the right person for the job.

4. Make that personal connection. If you can move from a standard question such as "Tell me about yourself" or "What are your strengths" towards a discussion of the challenges that will be facing the individual who is hired, the pain the organization is having that occasions this hire, or the strategic changes the company is in the midst of, you will be much more likely to engage the interest of the interviewer. The interviewer has a problem you can solve. If you are able to truly present yourself as the one with the answers, solutions, or abilities to meet the desired objectives of the company, you will boost your chances of being called for an in-person interview.

4. Even though the interviewer probably will have a list of questions s/he is working from, make every attempt to work your personal brand into your answers. Your personal brand is your professional reputation clearly delineated. What is your specialty? What are you known for? What are your primary attributes? And, most important for the interviewer, what is your value proposition? How do you make money, save money, streamline operations, solve problems, lower risk, facilitate the success of others? If you are able to make a strong, clear, positive impression on the interviewer, not just as a person but as a professional, you will be remembered way longer than the other 6 people who were interviewed that morning who did not project a personal brand.

5. Have a leave-behind message that will get you to the next stage. Express your interest in speaking more about how you could meet the needs of the company. Reiterate your value proposition. Express confidence that the hiring manager (if someone different from your phone interviewer) will be interested in your ideas about what you could bring to the position that would benefit the company. If you are able to do this, the interviewer won't just remember a string of answers to a list of questions, s/he will remember why the company should get to know you better.

As you wrap up the interview, be sure to find out what the timeline is in terms of finding out about next steps. That way you can get back to the interviewer if you don't hear from him/her in the specified time period.

Also, as with an in-person interview, it is a good idea to write a thank-you email or snail mail note expressing appreciation for the interviewer's time and restating your value proposition and interest in an in-person interview.

If you follow these tips, it is likely that you will set yourself apart from your competitors who may just be responding to the set questions and not attempting to broaden the conversation, project a personality, make a personal connection, or communicate a memorable message. Ace the phone interview and you are well on your way to a job interview and offer.

Anyone out there have tips to add from your experience with phone interviews?

P.S. For interview questions to practice with (phone or in-person), here's a good site.

Comments

[Keith DeLong]

Being conscious that the phone interview is usually pretty scripted is so important (as mentioned in #3). I can't tell you how many telephone interviews I've completed where one or more questions from the interview form are not answered despite asking it a couple of different ways throughout the interview. Take away: Answer the question up front and THEN branch out and sell yourself!

[Jean Cummings]

That is an excellent point, Keith. For lots of people it's hard to really "listen" to what's being asked so that the question can be directly answered. Then and only then is it a good idea to broaden the conversation!

[Lisa Rowan]

I have heard the stand-up advice before and I disagree with it for a few reasons. 1) you wouldn't be standing in an in-person interview so why on the phone? 2) I think above all you should be comfortable, standing in your home or office is going to feel alien, in other words uncomfortable, 3) although you shouldn't check mail or IM, you SHOULD be in front of the job description, interviewer's bio, company info, and your own resume... standing up to access that is neither effective nor comfortable.

Just my $.02

[Chris]

I'd add one more piece of advice - if you get stumped by any question, or even if you felt you didn't give them best possible answer to a question, offer to follow up after the interview. Send an email with more complete thoughts to the interviewer. Copy the hiring manager if possible. Since phone interviews can throw you off, be sure to take the opportunity to answer a question more completely later, if you are able.

[Jean Cummings]

Hi Lisa, you have let me know that standing up wouldn't work for everyone. So I would suggest that people try it when talking to a friend and see if it feels comfortable or not. I stand up whenever I record my outgoing phone message and frequently when I am talking with a prospect. I know that it feels comfortable for me and makes a difference in how I sound. I also find that I am less distracted with materials on my computer or my desk and can really LISTEN to what the other person is saying. Perhaps it's partly a learning style issue. I am a highly visual learner so I do what I can to compensate when I am communicating only using my auditory sense. So - the upshot is - I recommend that you do whatever optimizes your ability to stay focused on what the other person is asking/saying and whatever gives your voice energy and an upbeat tone. If you think the materials would help, you would have to sit down. Not so simple, is it, to figure out how to handle a phone interview?!

[Jean Cummings]

Chris, it's a great suggestion. That way you have still another chance to summarize your value proposition and express your interest in the position while clarifying anything that you might feel needs addressing from the interview. It demonstrates a real thoughtfulness as well.

[Staffing agency Philippines]

Thanks for that points. Having a conversation through phone is much harder than communicating personally. But what if happens that you can't find a quiet place when you called without your anticipation. Also if you have some difficulties when listening through celphones, that's a big risk.

[Laura Paris]

Hey Great tips - I would also add, try to do the interview on a land line and not a cell phone, if at all possible. If the manager has to struggle to hear you, or if either side misunderstands the other, that can end the interview right away.

[Jean Cummings]

Thanks there in the Philippines for that question and piece of advice. I suggest asking the interviewer if you could set up a time when you could be in a quiet place to talk. And finding a landline is a great suggestion. Thanks for that!

[Jill]

I ask in advance who I'll be speaking with and then research those people, so that I can have some idea of who I'm talking with. If the interviewer(s) have official work pages with bios I'll print those out -- especially if there are photos. I've found it very helpful to be able to picture the interviewers as I'm talking with them.

[Staffing Agency Philippines]

Before the interview, you should search information about the company because sometimes, the interviewer wants to know if you have knowledge about the company. So if you research, you can confidently answer the questions related to the company.