As they are mostly used as a mass-screening tool, to weed out the unsuitable candidates, telephone interviews aren’t usually as demanding or as probing as a formal interview – which can make preparing for an interview a little easier. Having said that, even the most capable candidate can struggle to get through a telephone interview, if they are not used to having professional conversations over the phone, or don’t feel they need to do as much preparation. You should always prepare for a telephone interview as if you were preparing for an interview in an office, face to face – it’s never wasted, as you will be able to use it for the next stage.
If you’re not used to having business conversations on the phone, it can be hard to establish a rapport with your interviewer, without the eye contact and body language you get in an actual meeting. The interviewer will usually lead the conversation, so this can make it easier for you. Just remember to speak clearly, be concise with your answers and don’t waffle, and try not to interrupt or speak over the other person.
Probably the best advice for a successful telephone interview, is to treat it as if it were a proper face-to-face meeting. Make sure you are somewhere you can talk without being interrupted, and to really get you in the right frame of mind, you could wear your normal business clothes. Standing up while you are talking has been shown to have a positive effect on how you sound on the phone – helping to boost your confidence and enthusiasm levels. Have a copy of your CV to hand and, because it’s a telephone interview, you can even have a few notes in front of you, so you can refer to them throughout the conversation.
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