In this video, we're going to walk you through one of the most nerve-wracking parts of the
hiring process.
We're going to walk you through what to do before, during, and after the phone interview
to make sure that you get through to the next step.
You'll know what to do beforehand, what you're supposed to be doing while the interviewer
is talking, and you can't miss the key step that you need to take after the interview's
ended.
And for those of you who stick around until the end of the video, we've got an extra bonus
tip at the very end.
I'm Jacq, the content and production associate here at Career Contessa, the only career site
built exclusively for women.
Be sure to like this video and subscribe, because we drop new content every week.
There's nothing easy about talking to an interviewer over the phone when you can't read their body
language or facial expressions, you're trying to remember to talk slowly, and you're also
worried about background noises.
But, phone interviewing is also where every job opportunity starts.
So how do you make them easier?
Here are the best phone interview tips for what to do before, during, and after that
phone interview, to make sure that you move on to the next step of the hiring process.
Before Before you get ready for that phone interview,
you're going to want to make sure you do a few things.
First, research the company and your interviewer thoroughly.
Know what their products and services are, when the company started, and what their company
mission is.
Learn more about what their work culture is like.
The other thing you'll want to make sure you do is research your interviewer.
You can probably find them on LinkedIn.
This is important because any commonalities you can bridge between you and the interviewer
will make you more memorable.
The next thing you're going to want to do is make sure your space is prepared.
You've got a quiet room, and if you're doing this with your cell phone, make sure it's
fully charged and that you have headphones.
Maybe even do a test run and make sure that you have great service.
Try to be set up ten minutes before your interview, so you won’t seem rushed or frazzled once
they call.
During your interview, you’ll want to have your resume printed out in front of you.
Your priority here is to listen.
What's tough about phone interviews is that you can't see the other person on the other
side of you.
You don't get to read their body language.
So you really need to be listening to what's their tone of voice, let them finish their
sentence before maybe you start answering, to make sure that you actually get their full
question.
The other thing you're going to want to make sure you do is to tie yourself and your experience
directly to the job description having direct comparison.
So if they ask you, "Why are you interested in this role, what made you apply?", you can
answer that easily—but make sure that you can also include why you’re a good fit.
You want to be constantly drawing similarities between what they're looking for, and what
you have.
The interviewer loves that.
When you're in the middle of that phone interview, that you're asking great questions, because
you want to make sure that this is going to be a job that's worth your time to keep pursuing
in an interview stage.
When the interview starts to wrap up, make sure you ask the interviewer about their timeline.
Ask them what are the next steps, and if you are really interested in the job, don't be
afraid to share that information.
You can say something like, "Wow, I loved everything I heard about this role in this
company today, I'm really excited about talking about this role further with you."
It's never a bad idea to leave them with the idea that you're excited as well.
Once the call has ended, the next thing you want to do is send a thank you email within
24 hours.
This is really important—we would even say it’s a crucial step.
When our CEO Lauren was a recruiter, they wouldn't give people callbacks if they didn't
send thank you notes.
It’s a nice opportunity to thank them again, and to stay in their inbox.
You might even want to attach your resume in your thank you note, just so it’s easily
accessible.
It never hurts to be extra careful.
When it comes to following up, hopefully you hear back from them within a week or something
like that.
If you don't, send another note to them just saying, "Hey, I wanted to circle back, see
where things were.
I'm really interested in this role."
Then, if you still don't hear back from them two weeks later, you can follow up again.
After that last follow up, you have to let it lie.
Maybe they don't have a lot of candidates that they've interviewed yet.
Or maybe they're still in the process of working with hiring managers.
Don't take it as a sign that it's an absolute no, you just don't want to become annoying
with it.
We’re confident that these tips will help you get to the next round—and to help you
prepare for the in-person video, we’ve got free, downloadable interview question flashcards
for common interview questions—with our tips on how you should answer them.
Do you prefer phone interviews, or in-person interviews?
Tell us in the comments!
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