Telephone Interviews

Before you pass “Go”, you might be asked to have a qualifying telephone interview (aka “phone screen”) with the employer’s internal or external recruiter. This is “make-or-break” so make sure you don’t fumble by heeding some of these tips:

• Use a landline for the call. Cell phones don’t always have a reliable connection; the last thing you need is a dropped call; also eliminate as much background noise as possible.
• Know something about your interviewer/screener. Know their role in the organization, where they went to school and other tidbits to connect with the person. You can ask for a bio if one is not available on-line.
• Understand how much time you have. Agree on how the interview will be structured and keep your eye on the clock to be respectful of their time.
• Make sure they have current résumé information on you. You both need to be reading from the same document.
• Be prepared to give a summary statement about why you are qualified for the position. Your statement is a longer version of your Elevator Pitch and focuses on your work history, competencies and objectives.
• Keep your answers short. You don’t have the advantage of visual cues to know when to stop talking.
• Take notes. Gather information and even write down questions posed to keep your responses on point.
• Ask about timing for next steps. They might not tell you if you are moving to the next step, but try to find out when you’ll have an answer one way or the other.