Phone Interview Best Practices For Veterans

4/16/2012

Phone interviews could happen any time during the week. You could be driving home from the grocery store, or sitting down to dinner. Or, they might be scheduled. Whichever case, it is important to treat the phone interview as seriously as a face-to-face interview.

Some phone interviews may be the beginning of a series of interviews. They can serve as a screening process to narrow the number of job applicants in a pool. Some phone interviews can be long, while others are short.

If you are unexpectedly pulled into a phone interview, do not panic. There are a few steps you can take to prepare for a phone interview. Here are some of the best practices:

Keep copies of the job ad (or description) and resume nearby. When an interviewer calls, it is good to have these items at hand so you can review the job description and use your resume as reference if needed
Compile a list of questions that interviewer might ask, and practice the answers to these questions. Some questions might include, “What are your strengths and weaknesses?” or “What interests you about this position?”
Do not chew gum, eat, drink or smoke during the phone interview
Complete the interview in a quiet, uninterrupted area. This will allow you to focus on the questions asked, and respond appropriately. Turn off the television, radio and call-waiting
Pay attention to how you speak. Even though interviewers may not see your body language, they will hear your voice. Make sure to have a clear, positive and engaging tone
Send a thank-you note. Even though you did not have a face-to-face interview, it is still courteous to write a thank-you note to your interviewer

***Photo courtesy of http://www.interviewconsulting.com