Tips to Help You Master Your Next Telephone Interview
Given the increasing cost of recruitment, telephone interviews continue to be popular amongst employers throughout the region. This allows recruiters to filter out applicants early on in the process to avoid the expense of in-person interviews with candidates who are obviously not a good fit. Suppose you are ready to start your own job search. In that case, you will want to be prepared to master the questions answered during your telephone interview so that you can hopefully be invited for a follow-up session at the company headquarters.
Allow Your Personality to Shine Through the Telephone
Telephone interviews are cost-effective for both you and the prospective employer. However, to move on in the process, you will need to demonstrate that you are a good fit for the organization. Some recruiters will use a personality test to help gauge. Be ready to answer openly and honestly so that you come across as presentable. You will need to be willing to rate yourself honestly. Do not be overly harsh on yourself, but avoid being too complimentary of your skills as well.
The key is to use the impersonal format of the telephone interview to encourage the recruiter to invite you to continue in the hiring process. It is essential to understand everything you can about the position you are applying for to show why the company should hire you. If you can do that, then you will be in an excellent place to continue.
Do Your Own Research
It is crucial to make the best use of your time in a telephone interview. The best way to do that is to be prepared. Make sure that you are well prepared ahead of time. While it is understandable that you may be nervous, knowing what you will be getting into during the interview will help you immensely.
Find out everything that you can about the person who will be interviewing you. The telephone interview will also be your chance to ask questions that you have about the company and position that you are applying for. It may help write down those questions and be ready to ask them when the opportunity presents itself. Anticipate the questions you feel your interviewer is most likely to ask you and practice your responses to them before the date of the actual interview.
3 Tips to Help You Ace the Interview Itself
Now that you understand the basics of preparing for your next telephone interview, here are some helpful tips to help you master it.
Set Up Your Environment
It is important to take the call in a quiet location that is free of distractions. If you are still in school and living with flatmates, this can be difficult to do on the spur of the moment. That is why you want to prepare.
Let your friends and family members know that you need quiet on the prescribed day and time. Look for a quiet location if at all possible. Please avoid using the speaker feature on your phone, as it tends to pick up external noises that you may not even hear yourself.
Dress the Part
While the other person may be unable to see you, it is still helpful to dress for success. This will give you a psychological edge that you need to present yourself well throughout the interview. It will also help get you into practice in the event that a recruiter requests a video conference before inviting you to the office.
Take a Deep Breath
When you are ready to either call the recruiter or receive theirs, it is important to calm yourself down by taking a deep breath. Get rid of your nerves and prepare to be highly professional from the first word that comes out of your mouth.
You may be asked a question that catches you off guard. It is ok to take a pause and gather your thoughts before answering. Remember to stick to the question and not to diverge. Your recruiter may only have a certain amount of time allotted to the interview, so you want to make sure they can ask as many questions as possible so that they can gauge your readiness for the job.
Wrap-Up
While nobody can guarantee that you will get the job, following this advice will help you do your best in the interview. Remember to be yourself and sell your talents and skills. You have something unique to offer a prospective employer. Always remember that and get out there and land the job of your dreams.