Lately, the job market playing field has certainly been tilted in favor of the employers. When an employer advertises for a job, they are often swamped with resumes from qualified job applicants. If you are looking for a job in this market, you might be surprised by companies asking you for a phone interview.
The phone interview is gaining popularity recently. Mainly, because it saves the hiring managers time by weeding out the candidates that looked good on paper but are obviously not a good fit. This saves them both time and money. Another reason that employers choose to do a phone interview is that it limits the risk of being accused of discrimination. Because they can't see the applicant, there is little chance that their decision will be swayed by age, visible disability or other factors.
Phone interviews may seem informal, but you shouldn't take them lightly. They are just as formal as a traditional interview. Often, someone from the company will call or email you to schedule a time that works best for both parties. Once you time is set, there are some things you can do to make sure your phone interview goes well:
- Use a landline if at all possible – If you have a home phone, give them that number. You don't want to have to worry about losing signal or having a bad connection. Also, for many people, it is easier to hear and understand what someone is saying on a conventional phone line. It may be frustrating to keep asking the interviewer to repeat the question because of poor call quality.
- Don't do other things during the interview – This seems obvious, but plan to have quiet time during the preset interview period. This isn't the time to be driving, running errands, shopping or stopping to correct your children. Just because you can do it during a phone interview doesn't mean you should. Remember that this is a professional phone call and treat it as such.
- Don't eat during the interview – Again, this is just as formal as a traditional interview. The interviewer doesn't want to hear you chewing or flushing the toilet during the interview. Be professional at all times.
- Be prepared for interview questions – If there are long pauses and the conversation lags, it will be obvious that you didn't prepare for the interview at all. Try to avoid this by preparing in the same way that you would for any other interview.
One of the nice things about phone interviews is that it can save you travel time, gas and you don't have to dress up. Although, some people say that the process of getting dressed in professional clothes will help you be more professional even on the phone. Of course, that decision is up to you, but with a little bit of preparation, you can make your phone interview great.
By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer for ManhattanJobsBlog. Along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.
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