Telephone Job Interview Preparation Tips

This http://www.WorkTree.com career article gives you some common sense advice and tips on handling the all importanttelephone interview.TELEPHONE INTERVIEW BACKGROUND

Telephone interviews are quite common in today’s job market.They are offered for a variety of reasons including cost savings,screening of candidates and out-of-town applicants. To successfullynavigate the phone interview, it is important to have a solid gameplan in place for preparation.  The following 8 quick tips will help prepare yourself for asuccessful call.8 QUICK TELEPHONE INTERVIEW PREPARATION TIPS

1. DO SOME RESEARCHTry to find out who will be interviewing you.  Will there be multiplepeople on the call?  If possible get their names and titles.  Becomefamiliar with these before the call and you will have one less thingto worry about during the call.  Try and get some background on theinterviewer.  Any insight you can gain about him/her will allow youto better tailor your responses to make the best possible impression.2. ORGANIZE YOUR THOUGHTS Make a list of your accomplishments, goals and strengths.  On anotherlist write out your weaknesses and what you are doing to overcomethem.  On a third sheet write down why you are interested in thecompany. Think carefully about all of these items as they often comeup in interviews.3. PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICENever forget that a telephone interview is still an interview.  Taketime to practice interview questions with friends or family.  Askthem to provide honest feedback so you can improve your responses.Mock interview questions can easily be found on the internet or thebookstore.   If you get stuck on a question, sample answers to thesequestions are often provided as well.4. DO A SOUND CHECKDuring the mock interview, have your friend ask you questions bothover the phone and in person.  Make sure that he/she listens not onlyfor content, but also tone, rate and clarity of your speech.  Ifpossible, record yourself speaking.  Are you speaking slowly andclearly? Can you easily be heard? Is your voice portraying you as aconfident and enthusiastic candidate?  If not continue to practiceuntil you are comfortable.5. FIND YOUR LOCATIONStake out a quite space to occupy during your interview.  Ideally,there should be a comfortable place to sit as well as a table to layout your papers.  Try and find a low-traffic spot where members ofthe household are un-likely to disturb you. 6. ORGANIZE YOUR PAPERSHave a copy of your resume and cover letter close at hand.  Take outthose lists you made while organizing your thoughts.   In additionkeep any notes related to the company that you feel may be helpfulduring the call. Spread these items out across your table so they areeasy to access.  Only keep what is truly necessary.  Too much papercan be a distraction.7. GATHER YOUR WRITING TOOLSPlace a notepad and several pens or pencils on the table.  These willbe helpful in writing down notes, questions and  most importantly,your interviewer's names.8. ELIMINATE DISTRACTIONSAs the appointed hour draws near, make sure that the television andthe radio are turned off.  Exit your email and turn off your computerscreen.  If possible, disable your call-waiting.  Let your family orroommates know about the timing of the interview so they do notaccidentally disturb you. Place a do not disturb sign on your door asa gentle reminder.CONCLUSION

By following these 8 basic tips, you are making a great impression andon your way to the onsite interview.   Remember, the phone interviewis very important and you should plan and prepare for it carefully.

This article can be read directly online at: http://www.worktree.com/newsletter/telephone-interview-preparation.htmlSincerely,Nathan Newberger,Managing Editorhttp://www.WorkTree.com

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