Telephonic Interviews are soon catching up as a trend to tap into larger candidate pools which is a win-win for those applying as well as recruiters. While this opportunity is an amazing one, lots of people are new to the idea of how to prepare for a telephonic interview.
A phone interview can be used as a tool to screen applicants for the first stages of the process and as an elimination round.
Here are five telephone interview tips that will help you prepare for your upcoming telephonic interview.
1. Prerequisites for the big call
Locate a place with good reception and no background noise to take the call at. Move your schedules for an hour before the call for later and ensure that you are ready for the call. This is often the first and most important thing to do. Unlike face to face interviews where the interviewer can take cues from the body language of the person, telephonic interviews take away this opportunity which means the candidate must use it to their advantage and make an impression in another way.
2. Practising for your phone interview
Practice speaking clearly on the phone. You may ensure that there are no background disturbances, but since the recruiter cannot see you, they are left to rely solely on what they hear. To communicate effectively, ensure whatever you are saying is loud, clear and audible. Practising talking in front of a mirror gives you the confidence to speak while helping you find out the perfect tone and voice modulation for your interview.
3. Preparing for a phone interview
A telephonic interview is comparatively shorter than a face to face interview but don't be fooled that the questions will be any easier. Your preparation needs to be the same way as it would be if it were a face to face interview. A lot of candidates make the mistake of not taking such interviews seriously. Telephone interview questions are the same as any other kind of interviews, so approach them with the same rigour as you would if the person was in front of you. If you are at home and taking this call, get ready as if you were to go for an interview anyway. Psychology says this helps you take yourself more seriously and immerse you in the idea of being at an interview.
4. What makes you stand out over a call?
To make up for the lack of sight, it is very important to help the interviewer hear your enthusiasm to take the job and be given this opportunity. Frame your salutations well and conclude with pleasantries. One of the most important interview skills is being able to turn the tables and make this work in your favour because getting to take an interview from the choice of your place means you have control over most things. This takes away the nervousness and anxiety in the process which you must capitalize on the best way you can. For typical questions like tell me about yourself or walk me through your resume, you can write down cues or a rough outline so you can speak with a flawless flow.
5. Putting things in perspective during the call
Keeping the interviewer's attention is another primary interview skills that one needs to develop to be successful at telephonic rounds. You need to be able to engage the interviewer and keep them hooked. Keep your sentences short. Frame your sentences in such a way that you can give pauses to let them cross-question you easily without you losing track of what you were speaking of. Keep a notepad handy to note down what you are discussing about to keep your head clear. It is also advised that you make inferences to cross-check if both parties have agreed on certain things as the call comes to an end. This helps to bring ideas back into perspective and to move forward.