subject: Pitch yourself on the phone [print this page] Phone interviews are starting to become extremely common as they are a much faster and cheaper way for companies to narrow down candidates for a one on one interview. It is just a filtering system and will not determine whether you get the job or not so there's nothing to panic about at all.
Most recruiters spend around five minutes on these calls and try to gauge the person on the other end. So what is most important is clarity and confidence. Make sure you are mentally prepared before receiving the call.
Now, here are a few tips for your phone interview:
PREPARATION- It is very important to be prepared in advance. Go through the company profile thoroughly and look up their history as well. If there are technical details you may be quizzed on go through your subject matter as well. Also be psychologically prepared. Don't take the interview call in your pajamas.
CONFIDENCE- Be confident and speak with clarity like you would in a direct interview. Try not to muffle words and always remember never to interrupt the interviewer. Pause for a second or two before your answer if you think you may talk too fast.
DO's There are a lot of ways to impress when you are on the phone, try and think of the advantages over a face to face interview. This could be different for different people but there are a lot of common things such as dressing. The interviewer cannot judge you based on your clothes, so there's one thing less to worry about. Body language could be your weak point but here it doesn't matter and he/she can form an unbiased opinion of you.
DON'T's Do not speak too loudly or too softly, keep a moderate volume and be careful of the tone you are using. It's good to sound confident but don't be over confident, it may sound arrogant to the person on the other end. Also try and pause between sentences and don't talk too fast.
On the whole maintain a cheerful disposition and sound positive, alert and ready to solve problems. Give the impression that you are the right person for this job. Remember that you will be considered for this job based on what you say now. If you feel that you need to do this in front of a mirror like it's a real interview go ahead! Motivate yourself with a positive attitude before the interview and be well prepared.
