Are you searching for a job? Did the company tell you there shall be a phone interview, as this is the process to pre-screen their possible job candidate. Sometimes companies even conduct a full interview over the phone to select their job candidates. Whatever it may be, the pre-selection or the full interview, you need to prepare yourself completely. Here are some tips for you to excel in the phone interview.

  1. Use a fixed line phone like landline: It is always better to use a landline instead of cell phone because of the possibility of losing cell phone signal. It will be irritating for the employers if the call gets interrupted and the impression will reflect on your interview.  Also it does not allow outside noises to interrupt your opportunity. Also use a high quality phone.
  2. Keep all the necessary things handy: Remember to keep all the materials you need handy like your resume, job description, a pen and pad for taking notes and anything else that might be helpful during the interview.
  3. Keep away from distractions: Always choose an ideal place to take the interview.  There should not be any distractions while you take the call. Keep your pets away so that they do not disturb you while you are talking on the phone. It’s important that you make a call from a favorable environment with minimal noise where you can speak at a reasonable volume. It would be better if you call from your home.
  4. Speak slowly, clearly and with confidence: In regular face to face interviews, you can see your employer speaking, observe his mouth move, so you can understand him better. But in case of phone interview neither of you can see each other, so you should be more clear and loud so that your employer understands you well and you give a good impression. If you can’t hear you can drop subtle hints that he isn’t clearly speaking or not loud enough by politely asking him to repeat.
  5. Maintain Proper Etiquette: Though your employer cannot see you, yet maintaining proper etiquette is ideal. Do not eat, drink or chew while talking on the phone. This might form a bad impression. If you feel nervous  and need to drink water between the call then all you need to do is, mute your phone and take a quick sip of water. This will ease you and also do no harm.
  6. Be honest: Honesty will be always appreciated. If a major disturbance occurs during the interview mention
  7. Prepare yourself before hand: Always be ready to take the call. Keep everything you need in handy as you never know when you might get a call. Like in a normal face to face interview prepare yourself to ask your employer a few questions. Some examples are: “what skills should I possess in order to excel at the job?”  What are my Job requirements?” But remember never ask about the salary or benefits until the employer chooses to speak about it first. At the end of the interview remember to say “thank you” with a sincere tone.

So, follow these simple tips and get ready to grab the opportunity that’s on your way..