Five Tips for Having a Successful Phone Interview

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More and more employers are deciding to interview candidates over the phone, especially if the prospective employee lives in another city or state. Telephone interviews have their own unique advantages and disadvantages. Even though a phone interview may seem easier than a regular interview on the surface, it can actually be quite hard. You have to successfully project your personality without having the advantage of face-to-face contact. You must rely solely on your voice to make a connection with your interviewer.

However, if you properly prepare for the interview, you have the advantage of being able to have notes right in front of you, and you have the comfort of familiar surroundings. As well, most tips that can be applied to face-to-face interviews can also help you in telephone interviews. That being said, there are some extra things that you can do to ensure a successful phone interview.

So here are some tips to help you gain success in a phone interview.

1.     Eliminate distractions. Make sure you are in a quiet place away from people, TV, pets, etc. If you have a home office, use it and close the door. Not only will these things distract you, but the interviewer may also hear them through the phone and find them distracting or, if they hear a TV for instance, wonder how seriously you are taking the interview. So, by eliminating distractions you will be able to keep 100% focused on your interview. 

2.     Make a conscious effort to be energetic and smile while speaking. This will project into your voice and make you sound warmer and friendlier. Your goal should be to convey to the interviewer that you are an upbeat and outgoing person. In a phone interview, all an interviewer has to go on regarding your personality is your voice. So you want to convey your enthusiasm, professionalism, optimism, and friendliness through the phone. Also, pay close attention to your tone because a note of irritation or frustration in your voice will be much more noticeable over the phone.

3.     You are apt to get a lot of scripted questions in a phone interview, so try to answer each question in a way that is specific to that particular school or teaching position. Your goal should be to show how your set of skills and teaching philosophy will benefit the specific position. So during your preparation, read up on the school/district to find out their goals, objectives, and mission. During your interview, you can also have notes on the school in front of you to utilize when necessary.

4.     Try to make a personal connection with the interviewer. This can seem harder over the phone but is necessary to make a lasting impression. You are trying to market yourself to the school, so try to talk about how your specific skills and personality will solve any problems that the school is facing or how you will fit in with the school’s character. Attempt to change the tone of the interview from a question-answer situation to a discussion of the present situation of the school and what you can bring to the table to improve things.

5.     Be confident and leave the interview with an open invitation to continue talking. Express interest in continuing the conversation at a later date. This will help the interviewer to remember that they will want to get to know you better.

If you follow these steps it is likely that you will successfully set yourself apart from the other prospective teachers.