As you plan for a phone interview, you need a few tips that will help you prepare. Speaking to a hiring manager on the phone is different than meeting in person. Additionally, you need to know how to look good even though the interviewer cannot see you. Each step on this list will change the way you interview and how you present yourself. Think of how you speak to clients, customers, managers, superiors, and investors when all you have is a phone.
- Dress Well
When getting ready for your interview, make sure you dress well. Dressing well makes you feel ready for the interview. The interviewer cannot see you, but you will feel more confident because you are dressed for an interview. Additionally, you can even make light of your attire for the day depending on the circumstances. For example, the interviewer might ask you how you are feeling today, and you can say you have your “Sunday red” on today.
Dressing well also puts you in the right frame of mind if you need to take a video interview in the future. You can wear the same outfit for a live interview, and you will feel more confident because that ensemble was successful. This might become your lucky outfit even after you start.
- Remain Cheerful
You should remain cheerful throughout the interview. The hiring manager cannot see your personality, but they can hear it over the phone. Remember to smile, remain positive, and listen actively. When you do this, it sounds like the interview is going well. When you remain cheerful, the interviewer will be more positive about the interview. This is very important because you want the interviewer to enjoy speaking to you. If there are callbacks for more interviews, the hiring manager will remember you had a nice talk.
If you want to share your sunny personality even further, you should wish the interviewer a good day at the beginning and end of the interview. Some questions might arise concerning your current company. Do not say anything negative. If there are obvious negative points that the interviewer mention, you should say you have nothing against the company and you do not make those decisions. You cannot change the past, and you are showing the interviewer that you will not complain too much when you start with their company.
- Listen
Listen during the interview, but make sure that you do not break into the conversation until necessary. Many interviews include a review of what the company is about, and the interviewer might speak for several minutes before asking questions. Save your questions until the end of their talk. You might say something like, “what I hear is that…” Moreover, you should ask the interviewer to review any details of the company before continuing.
Listening during an interview also includes listening for buzzwords in questions. You can take notes during the interview because these buzzwords might come up at the end of the interview. Taking notes also shows that you are doing the right thing. While the interviewer cannot see you taking notes, they can hear you taking notes while they talk.
You also need to wear headphones so that you can clearly hear. You should not put yourself on speaker, and you need to be sure that the microphone is near your face. If you are talking on speaker or have a faint connection, the interviewer cannot enjoy the interview. No one can blame you for a bad connection, but the interviewer cannot hear you or enjoy your personality. A poor connection also omits certain parts of the conversation that could be important.
- Break in When You Have a Chance
Break into the conversation only when you have a space to talk. You do not want to talk over the interviewer simply for the sake of talking. You can also share personal details when asked. Let the interviewer know that you have a story to tell, or ask them if you should continue. They can let you go on about something that is important, or they can ask the next question.
If you talk too much during the interview, it sounds as though you are not listening. If you talk too little during the interview, it sounds as though you have nothing to sway. Strike a balance between the two by speaking to friends or taking mock interviews. You will learn how to talk, when to speak, and if you are talking too much, too little, or about the wrong things.
- Ask Questions
Ask questions during the interview when you do not understand or need clarification. You do not need to explain why the questions are necessary, and you should continue to take notes when you get answers. Moreover, you should have a list of questions ready for the end of the interview such as pay, benefits, office environment, remote work policies, and other matters. You can even tell the interviewer that you have a list of questions so they know you prepared before the interview.
You Can Interview With Confidence Today
A phone interview does not need to be scary. However, you must use each tip to ensure you make a good impression, gather information, and have a nice interview. You must let the interviewer know that you have a sunny personality. They need to know that you are listening, and you need a good connection that makes it easier to hear. Test out your interview setup, dress well, and get ready to wow an interviewer who needs active, engaged, and vibrant employees.
As you plan for a phone interview, you need a few tips that will help you prepare. Speaking to a hiring manager on the phone is different than meeting in person. Additionally, you need to know how to look good even though the interviewer cannot see you. Each step on this list will change the way you interview and how you present yourself. Think of how you speak to clients, customers, managers, superiors, and investors when all you have is a phone.
- Dress Well
When getting ready for your interview, make sure you dress well. Dressing well makes you feel ready for the interview. The interviewer cannot see you, but you will feel more confident because you are dressed for an interview. Additionally, you can even make light of your attire for the day depending on the circumstances. For example, the interviewer might ask you how you are feeling today, and you can say you have your “Sunday red” on today.
Dressing well also puts you in the right frame of mind if you need to take a video interview in the future. You can wear the same outfit for a live interview, and you will feel more confident because that ensemble was successful. This might become your lucky outfit even after you start.
- Remain Cheerful
You should remain cheerful throughout the interview. The hiring manager cannot see your personality, but they can hear it over the phone. Remember to smile, remain positive, and listen actively. When you do this, it sounds like the interview is going well. When you remain cheerful, the interviewer will be more positive about the interview. This is very important because you want the interviewer to enjoy speaking to you. If there are callbacks for more interviews, the hiring manager will remember you had a nice talk.
If you want to share your sunny personality even further, you should wish the interviewer a good day at the beginning and end of the interview. Some questions might arise concerning your current company. Do not say anything negative. If there are obvious negative points that the interviewer mention, you should say you have nothing against the company and you do not make those decisions. You cannot change the past, and you are showing the interviewer that you will not complain too much when you start with their company.
- Listen
Listen during the interview, but make sure that you do not break into the conversation until necessary. Many interviews include a review of what the company is about, and the interviewer might speak for several minutes before asking questions. Save your questions until the end of their talk. You might say something like, “what I hear is that…” Moreover, you should ask the interviewer to review any details of the company before continuing.
Listening during an interview also includes listening for buzzwords in questions. You can take notes during the interview because these buzzwords might come up at the end of the interview. Taking notes also shows that you are doing the right thing. While the interviewer cannot see you taking notes, they can hear you taking notes while they talk.
You also need to wear headphones so that you can clearly hear. You should not put yourself on speaker, and you need to be sure that the microphone is near your face. If you are talking on speaker or have a faint connection, the interviewer cannot enjoy the interview. No one can blame you for a bad connection, but the interviewer cannot hear you or enjoy your personality. A poor connection also omits certain parts of the conversation that could be important.
- Break in When You Have a Chance
Break into the conversation only when you have a space to talk. You do not want to talk over the interviewer simply for the sake of talking. You can also share personal details when asked. Let the interviewer know that you have a story to tell, or ask them if you should continue. They can let you go on about something that is important, or they can ask the next question.
If you talk too much during the interview, it sounds as though you are not listening. If you talk too little during the interview, it sounds as though you have nothing to sway. Strike a balance between the two by speaking to friends or taking mock interviews. You will learn how to talk, when to speak, and if you are talking too much, too little, or about the wrong things.
- Ask Questions
Ask questions during the interview when you do not understand or need clarification. You do not need to explain why the questions are necessary, and you should continue to take notes when you get answers. Moreover, you should have a list of questions ready for the end of the interview such as pay, benefits, office environment, remote work policies, and other matters. You can even tell the interviewer that you have a list of questions so they know you prepared before the interview.
You Can Interview With Confidence Today
A phone interview does not need to be scary. However, you must use each tip to ensure you make a good impression, gather information, and have a nice interview. You must let the interviewer know that you have a sunny personality. They need to know that you are listening, and you need a good connection that makes it easier to hear. Test out your interview setup, dress well, and get ready to wow an interviewer who needs active, engaged, and vibrant employees.
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