Candidate Zone

Handling a telephone interview

In Today’s competitive job market the number of applications are on the increase for every vacancy so the telephone interview is fast becoming a popular first stage to help create a shortlist. However, just because you are not visiting the office and meeting the interviewer in person, don’t fall short - you need to approach the interview as if it were a formal face to face situation. An interview is still an interview!

Follow these top tips to sailing through to the next round:

• Be alert and ready to take the call at the time arranged. Make sure you are in a quiet room with a fully charged battery and in an area with a good signal.
• Have your CV in front of you, key achievements and a pad of paper and pen so you can take notes.
• You may find you are on the phone for ten minutes or an hour, so make sure you have given yourself plenty of time to answer the questions.
• Be organised and fully clued up about the role and company. Just the same as you would a face to face interview - do your research thoroughly and prepare some answers around the key competencies.
• Remember to smile! By smiling you sound more confident, approachable and relaxed.
• Sound enthusiastic. The interviewer will be looking for the you to demonstrate qualities they would like in their team. An enthusiastic employee is always a plus.
• Don’t waffle, pace your answers and remember to listen carefully to the question. If you are unsure about the meaning, ask for clarification.
• Remember the follow up. Make sure you have the interviewer’s email details so that after the interview ends you can write them a thank you note, so as to reiterate your interest in the role and outline key points discussed and what you think you bring to the table.

Telephone interviews can certainly be daunting and unnatural, but they can also work in your favour. Prepare well, enjoy it and be confident!