The interview before the interview – preparing for your phone screen

Sometimes, scheduling an in-person interview can be difficult, and you might be asked to interview over the phone. In many cases, before being asked into an office for an interview, you will be asked to participate in a phone screen to cover some basic information. Blogger Marci Alboher shared some tips on how to face phone interviews:

Be ready:

prepare yourself for an interview. Research the company, and write some questions down. This will help you when the interviewer asks if you have any questions.

Choose a private and quiet place for the call:

I’ve interviewed some candidates who were doing things like listening to music, driving or visiting the zoo. You can apologize and return a phone call right away after you’ve found a quiet place to talk.

Don’t do anything else:

It should go without saying, but focus on the call and avoid reading messages or email or doing other things. Your target is to pass this phone interview so you must focus as much as you can.

Keep your notes and documents next to you:

This is one of the best tips. A great benefit of interviewing on the phone is that you can have anything you want nearby, starting with your resume, questions, and answers. It will be much easier to answer questions if these documents are right beside you.

Practice:

There is no shame in practicing an interview with a friend – in fact, it’s a great idea. You will be natural and relaxed in the interview. Especially if you’re new to interview, practicing is an important way to boost your confidence.

Don’t worry about brief silences:

Even on TV, you may have seen how politicians take short breaks before answering questions. It’s no secret that they are constructing their ideas before answering. Alboher suggests you do the same and don’t worry about pauses –  just focus on your answers.