Take these 5 simple steps to boss a phone interview, impress your interviewer and guarantee a face to face interview

After applying for a job, most applications are followed by a phone interview by the hiring manager. They will usually call to ask you a few questions to get to know you better before inviting you to a face to face interview.

For most people, speaking to someone over the phone can be quite a daunting experience and we can often feel put on the spot. However, if you follow these simple steps you will soon be mastering the phone interview stage…

Step 1 – Do your research!

The best way to be prepared for a phone interview is to do your research before hand. Make sure you find out as much information as you can about the company, so when you are asked specific details about the company, you know how to answer. Start with the company’s website – most companies have an about us page, a meet the team and a news or blog section. Next, Google the company and see if there are any recent news articles which may mention the future plans, growth or expansion of the company that you may have missed. You can also give the company a little stalk on their social media pages, this may give you an idea about the company culture of the organisation.

Step 2 – Write down any questions you want to ask

Use the phone interview as an opportunity to find out any details about the role or company that aren’t mentioned in the job advertisement. The hiring manager will also be taking note of interviewees who do ask questions, as this shows you are interested in the position and working for the company. Try and have at least 2 – 3 questions ready to ask the employer.

Examples of questions to ask:

Do you offer any internal or external training programs?
Are there opportunities for progression?
How many people are in the team I will be working in?
What are the future goals of the company?

Remember to have a pen and paper to hand to write down notes – you may want to elaborate on any information mentioned in your face to face interview or when the interviewer asks if you have any questions later in the phone interview.

Step 3 – Prepare beforehand

Before your phone interview make sure to have the following items on hand:

Your CV – It is very likely that the employer will ask you questions about the information you provided on your CV, so by having it on hand you can easily refer to the section that the employer is questioning you about.
A glass of water – Sometimes when we’ve been talking for a while we can get a bit of a dry mouth, by having a glass of water on hand you can easily take a sip to clear you throat or take a break and regather your thoughts.
A pen and paper – As mentioned above, have pen and paper on hand to take any notes around topics you would like to discuss further in the next stage of your interview or to come back to later in the phone interview. Plus, make sure to check that your pen works before your interview!

Step 4 – Pay attention to these tips

Here are a few tips for you to be aware of during your interview:

Remember to not get distracted! When you are being interviewed over the phone it can be easily done for your mind to wander off, especially if you’re constantly looking around the room and not paying attention. Try to concentrate on the spot in front of you to stay focused and avoid wandering eyes! You may miss a really important question or piece of information and you don’t want to make the employer repeat themselves because you’ll end up feeling embarrassed and it will knock your confidence throughout the rest of the interview.
Don’t interrupt the interviewer. If you start talking over the interviewer they are going to find this extremely rude. This is why it is imperative to have a pen and paper on hand so you can takes notes and ask them about it further once they have finished speaking.
Stay calm! Any interview situation, whether in person or over the phone can be nerve wracking for many. However, by taking steps to remain as calm as possible you will prevent getting flustered or having brain freeze during the interview. While the interviewer is talking, use this time to take a deep breath while listening to them.
Smile. Still remember to smile, even though you aren’t face to face and no one can see you. Smiling helps us to reduce stress, which will help to keep you calm. Smiling also elevates your mood, so you will instinctively be more happy, in turn you’ll be more positive and talking to the interviewer with more enthusiasm.

Step 5 – Close the interview properly

To make an impression in the last few minutes of your interview, reinstate your enthusiasm for the position to give the interviewer confidence that you do want this position and you aren’t wasting their time. Always ask ‘When can I expect to hear from you?’, this confirms to the employer that you are eager to hear from them and move onto the next stage of the application. Plus, always remember to thank the interview for their time, this will go a long way as it shows you appreciate them taking the time to consider you in their shortlisting of applicants. People will remember those who ended the interview on a polite note!

Good luck!