Telephone Interviews

Telephone interviews can give you an advantage over in person interviews in that you can read notes!

Sometimes you will get a phone call to set up a telephone interview for a future time. This is the best kind as it gives you time to prepare.

Sometimes the phone will ring and the voice on the other end identifies him or herself as the hiring manager for a job for which you have applied. They want to do an interview right now.

Panic!

If it really is a bad time: if the kids are screaming, the dog barking and quiet and time to think an impossibility, ask if it would be possible to call them back in 10 minutes, once you have settled things down. But if possible, take the call. They may say they'll call you back and never do it. So take the opportunity when it's there.

So, just in case that unannounced telephone interview happens to you, plan ahead.

Every time you send out a resume, clip the job posting or whatever information you have about the job, to a copy of the resume and cover letter you sent, and keep it beside the phone.

Then when the phone rings and Mr. Smith and ABC company announces himself, and you have no idea which of the 40 jobs you applied for this is regarding, a quick flip through your collected resumes, cover letters and job ads beside the phone enlighten you.

And to help you calm your nerves as you answer questions, you can skim through the resume to come up with those great skills you want to highlight.

So don't be caught off guard. Get your telephone interview kit assembled beside your phone and ace these interviews as well.

Need more help with interviews?
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