For most people, phone interviews are less daunting that face-to-face ones where there is pressure to look your best and answer questions in an unfamiliar environment.
Job interviews are stressful even for people who have years of experience, so if you are a brand new job seeker, it would make sense if you needed to find all the interview preparation tips you could possibly find.
One of the best tips for interview processes is not to underestimate the phone interview in any way.
Hiring managers are not trying to make it easier for you by arranging phone interviews. Their intent is as strategic as though they had invited you to attend a meeting in the company boardroom.
Indeed, this step in the interview process is critical. If you do not come across well on the phone, you will not be granted a follow up, in-person interview.
In this article you will find interview preparation tips for your first phone interview.
Before the Interview, Preparation Tips
First, there are a few things that to note when it comes to preparing for a job interview. Broadly speaking, there are tips for interview questions posed by the recruiter and there are also tips on the types of interview questions to ask employer interviewees.
In terms of questions, there are open-ended questions and close-ended questions.
Questions that are closed-ended ask for short and factual answers. For instance, ‘how did you hear about this position.’
Keep your answers to these types of questions short and to the point.
Open-ended questions, on the other hand, demand longer answers that provide insight into the type of person you are. In preparing for a job interview, consider your thoughts and feelings on the type of work the company does. Also make a list of your personal knowledge base you have, that could align with the company’s mission.
Open-ended questions in job interviews require a qualified response. Avoid rambling and also avoid being vague when answering the question at hand. Remember that the interviewer wants to see why you feel you are aligned for the position.
These simple interview preparation tips could make all the difference to your phone call.
When asked open-ended questions during a phone interview, try to reveal something about yourself without waffling and straying from the question. For instance:
“When I was researching your company, I discovered that there is a great emphasis on environmental sustainability. In reading your mission statement, I could see that it echoed my own personal goals and philosophies.”
There’s no doubt, preparing for a job interview, whether in-person or on the phone, takes time and skill.
Questions About You During Job Interviews
One of the best tips for interview success is to remember to try and think like a potential employer.
If you are searching ‘interview questions to ask employer’- hold your horses and consider the types of questions they will ask you!
“Tell me about yourself?”
Don’t be fooled, the interviewer is not asking about the time in 8th grade you made it onto the debating team, try to reveal strategic information that would be relevant for filling the position.
Be prepared for the question, ‘what motivates you’. Giving a question like this really careful consideration is one of the best interview preparation tips you will hear.
Saying things like -
- …the satisfaction of a job that is well done
- …being able to collaborate within a dynamic team
- …having the opportunity to be on the cutting-edge of discovery
are all good answers. Obviously, try to expand without waffling. Remember that answers that are too clipped and short could come across as terse.
The question ‘how would you describe yourself’ could seem like another iteration of the same theme, try to aspects that reflect your professionalism rather than that you like to braai every Sunday.
For example, you could include phrases like –
- Organised,
- Motivated and responsible,
- Detail-orientated
In preparing for a job interview, remember that the prospective employer is looking to find out things about you that you were not able to include in your CV. Having said that, make you find out how to write a good CV too.
Other tips for interview questions would be to try and visualise yourself in the role and then find ways of including how you would go about it, in your answers.
Succeeding in job interviews is not about going overboard about personal revelations or getting on your soapbox about issues of the day, it is about diplomatically, but strategically, making sure that you deposit solid reasons why you are a strong candidate.
Before you even consider tips for job interviews or search ‘interview questions to ask employer’ – make sure that you know how to write a good cover letter to go with your CV.
Are You Searching Interview Questions to Ask Employer?
You can expect to be asked more job-related questions than questions about yourself, but you can also expect to be given the opportunity to ask questions.
See this as a golden opportunity, one that is even worthy of a search for ‘interview questions to ask employer’.
First, no article about tips for interview success would be complete without examples of the types of questions that you can expect to answer:
- Why would you like this job? Here, remember to answer why that particular job excites you and not why you just need a pay cheque.
- Have you been to other interviews? Here, they are trying to ascertain whether their position fits into the framework of your search.
- What kind of work environment do you prefer? This question is more about your personality than your skills.
- Are you short-listed for any other positions? Here, they want to know how stiff the competition is and how quickly they need to move if they wish to hire you.
Be truthful and professional and you won’t go wrong.
If you are applying for more than one job, find out how to adapt your CV and covering letter accordingly for each.
Two other questions you can expect are:
What are your salary expectations? And do you have any questions for me?
Yes, you should always have questions, perhaps you have already searched ‘interview questions to ask the employer.’
If these interview preparation tips have been helpful so far, keep reading for more.
A good question to ask the interviewer is: What is the next step? Or, what is the process from here?
Questions like these will show your eagerness and that is not a bad thing.
When it comes to the question about your salary expectations, be careful not to immediately state a number. Instead, confess that you don’t have a specific figure in mind and that your first priority is to find the best fit for your skill set.
Don’t forget to check out our further tips on how to make your CV stand out.
Setting the Tone
Most job seekers apply for positions because they need to work.
This need can create an emotional vortex of hope, desire, anxiety and excitement. Worry over being found lacking or having one’s hopes dashed can play a big part in the nervousness that leads up to an interview.
One way to overcome this stress is to trick your mind that you don’t need the job. Of course you may need it, everyone needs something meaningful to do even if they are not forced to make a living.
Even if you are not in the same room as the interviewer, any stress you may be feeling is likely to be felt by the interviewer.
Try to maintain a positive and upbeat tone that is not familiar and this could go a long way in convincing your prospective employer that you are confident in abilities and yourself.
Find more tips on how to find your first job in our separate article.
Beware of using any negative words. One way to ensure this is to make sure that your thoughts are positive.
Exude confidence, speak in a positive tone, sound sure of the direction you intend to take in life.
The way that you handle your first interview, even if it happens to be on the phone, will determine whether you are a granted a second face-to-face interview or not.
Finally, don’t forget to follow up your interview with a thank you note, not only is it professional and polite, it will also help to keep you in mind when short list is determined.
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