Phone Interview Success

I find phone interviews to be extremely difficult. You have no face-to-face contact so you can't read their body language. 

Here are some tips on how to handle a phone interview.

• Listen very carefully so you answer the question they are asking.
• Make sure your responses have energy in your tone
• Speak clearly and make sure you don't start to ramble.  If you have ever been deposed you know that you should only answer the question the attorney asks you.  For example if they ask "Did you pick up your child after school last Wednesday"?  Your answer should be yes or no, NOT "No, I had to work that day so my neighbor down the street, who is so helpful, picked her up for me." or Yes, I pick up my little girl every day, because I am a good mom."

Finally, try to relax and be yourself.

I have contemplated taping the phone interview so I can critique it afterword.

To determine how well you did on the phone interview ask yourself:

• How long did it last?  Presume, for the most part, that the longer the better. My very first phone interview lasted 8 minutes.  Needless to say, it didn't go very well.
• How was the interviewers tone when they were responding to your answers?
• Did the interviewer ask you to elaborate on any of your responses?  This could be an indication that they are interested and want to hear more.
• How did they end the phone call?  Did they elaborate on when they would get back to you?

Good luck to all who are anticipating their next phone interview and here's to getting to the next phase in the interview process, The Face To Face...