Phone Interview

[RedHotChiO]

I have a phone interview tommorrow. Does anyone have any tips for conducting a phone interview vs. in person? I've had regular interviews before, but this will be my first phone interview. Will it be more casual than a real interview?

RedHotChiO

[mmcline]

i just wanted to say good luck Melanie..

[japhir]

I've done a couple of phone interviews. It's actually easier to do a phone interview because you don't have to worry about how you look or any little nervous things you do. (I was in my pj's for one of my phone interviews!) Write a couple of questions you think you may have during the interview before hand and take notes during the interview. Just remember to not let yourself get distracted by your surroundings, so make sure the radio and tv and everything are off. Try to be in a quiet room by yourself where no one will interupt you. Good Luck!

[RedHotChiO]

Thanks for your help, but they apparently already gave the job away. She caught me so off guard, and then she asked if I had any questions about the job or the company. I didn't really know what to say. I just told her that I would call her later to set up an informational interview in person.

[mullet81]

So I'm taking this next year off until I go to grad school in the Fall of 2005...

I have a phone interview with an organization I absolutely love tomorrow. I've done my research on them and I've been preparing for the interview for the past 3 days - yet I'm still nervous as heck!

Does anyone have any phone interview tricks of the trade? What about potential questions... I think I am pretty prepared, but any advice would be helpful!

Oh - it is a phone interview - and theyre calling from NYC. I have been in contact with the woman I am interviewing with by email - is it ok to send an email thank you? I want to get it to them ASAP and mailing in from Indiana to New York would take a few days.

[Rudey]

Originally posted by mullet81
So I'm taking this next year off until I go to grad school in the Fall of 2005...

I have a phone interview with an organization I absolutely love tomorrow. I've done my research on them and I've been preparing for the interview for the past 3 days - yet I'm still nervous as heck!

Does anyone have any phone interview tricks of the trade? What about potential questions... I think I am pretty prepared, but any advice would be helpful!

Oh - it is a phone interview - and theyre calling from NYC. I have been in contact with the woman I am interviewing with by email - is it ok to send an email thank you? I want to get it to them ASAP and mailing in from Indiana to New York would take a few days.

About phone interviews, treat them like in-person interviews. In fact, dress up in a suit if you can so you don't sound like joe shmoe in your undies. If you want to have some talking points or things you might forget written out, you can too but make it quick points and don't write anything long out so it looks scripted.

About thank you notes, most places don't casre and if they do a simple email is best. A lot of places actually don't want to receive them and might even look badly on them. Actual notes, especially handwritten, are overkill. Truly they make the decision very quickly about where to go right after the interview anyway so send a short thank you email and call it a day.

-Rudey

I'm having a phone interview in a few days and I'm taking down notes from all these threads.

I'm really nervous about this and I was wondering, is it rude to ask the interviewee who is listening to me? And as far as asking questions, do I ask them as if I was getting the job or if I do get the job? Does that make sense? I just don't want to come off as though I already know it is in the bag, but there are some questions I would really like to ask.

Since it is my first interview over the phone and what not, I'm going to the career center for some additional pointers, so hopefully it will go well. I'm scared and really nervous!!!

[BobbyTheDon]

If you're a red hot Chi O then doing phone interviews might work against you.

[SmartBlondeGPhB]

Originally posted by PoohsHoneyBee
I'm having a phone interview in a few days and I'm taking down notes from all these threads.

I'm really nervous about this and I was wondering, is it rude to ask the interviewee who is listening to me? And as far as asking questions, do I ask them as if I was getting the job or if I do get the job? Does that make sense? I just don't want to come off as though I already know it is in the bag, but there are some questions I would really like to ask.

Since it is my first interview over the phone and what not, I'm going to the career center for some additional pointers, so hopefully it will go well. I'm scared and really nervous!!!

They should tell you who is on the call. I've done three or four phone interviews and there has never been more than one person.

Usually phone interviews are the first step (of a multi step process). The "weeding out" step without them having to have the person come into their office. Two of mine have been with HR types and not even the person actually doing the hiring.

Then after the phone interview, they will decide if they want to bring you in for a face to face interview.

I was in my pajamas for the last one...........

[Denise_DPhiE]

Originally posted by BobbyTheDon
If you're a red hot Chi O then doing phone interviews might work against you.

She's a red hot DPhiE, Bobby!

Good luck Pooh. Most likely it will be one person from HR who does NOT know the nitty gritty about the position so your questions will be be more general and more about company.
Hold off on little details about position - speak in more broad terms and yes, AS IF you are being hired. Confidence matters!!

Denise

[PSUSigKap]

Whenever I've had phone interviews, I've had my resume right in front of me so I can refer to it if needed. Also, I usually sit at my computer and have the company's website up just incase. Don't actually type while you're on the phone, but it's a reference. Write down some questions. Even if you don't ask them they are right in front of you.

[adpiucf]

It may sound weird, but keep a smile on your face to make you come off positive. Sometimes sitting in front of a mirror helps. Take notes/have questions ready to ask. Like with a recruitment meeting, aim to develop a rapport as the interviewer is speaking. Listen, don't interrupt, offer some anecdotes and relevant examples and don't waste answers to questions with yes/no. Illustrate as much as possible.

[aephi alum]

You may or may not be interviewing with someone from HR. When I interviewed for my current job, the first round was a phone interview. The person who interviewed me is now my boss's boss. He came into the company several years ago doing what I'm doing now.

Treat a phone interview as seriously as you'd treat an in-person interview. Rudey made a good point about dressing professionally; I wouldn't necessarily wear a suit for a phone interview, but I find I present myself more professionally during phone interviews and teleconferences when I'm wearing my normal business-casual work clothes than when I'm wearing jeans. If you're in front of your computer, keep your resume, the company's website, and a few prepared questions handy.

Hope it goes well.

[blueangel]

Everyone has their own particular management style, so my advice may differ from others.. but... here's my opinion on the matter.

Regarding e-mail thank you notes.... No! No! No! No e-mail thank you notes! Please send it snail mailed... or... if you really think time is of utmost importance... at least send a snail mail thank you after the e-mail thank you.

I do a lot of hiring, and a hand-written letter means so much. An e-mail, to me, spells "lazy." A letter is so much more personal.. and shows that you took the time and effort to hand write something out, put a stamp on it, and bring it to the mailbox.

Out of everyone I have interviewed, I have only gotten two snail-mail thank yous. Guess who two of the people are that I hired??? They REALLY made an impression on me. They showed me they had professionalism and class.

I've done some informal job interviews on the phone-- actually, it was more of a pre-screening to see if it was worth inviting them in for an interview.

I generally open up with a bit of small talk with the candidate to get a sense of their personality. I look at their resume and try to find something on it that they feel comfortable with as an icebreaker. I like it when people are able to chat informally a bit.

The questions I ask are pretty basic: What kind of job are you looking for? What kind of experience do you have? Tell me about your last job. How flexible are you with hours? The others were pretty job specific (these were broadcast journalist positions) such as, "Are you familiar with Avstar or I-news?"

I like positive people that are "nice." Since we're all going to be around each other 40 hours a week, I'd rather find someone who is a team player with a good attitude, a sense of humor, and who is confident in their abilities without being cocky.

The key is to be interested and upbeat, without being TOO enthusiastic (it makes you seem a little desperate.)

Never, ever say anything bad about a former employer. Your old boss might have been a real creep, but never say that. Stay positive.

Have a few questions prepared, because I can almost guarantee that the person interviewing you will ask if you have any. DON'T ask about salary yet.. or benefits. That comes later. Research the job and the company a bit, and frame your questions around that.

Remember too, that the person hiring you wants to know what you can do for them.... not the other way around! For example... Don't tell them how much you need this job because you have car payments. Instead, let them know why it's such an advantage for them to hire you.

Good luck, and try not to be nervous! Remember that it's just another human being on the other end of the line!

Thanks so much for the advice! The interview is soon and I wrote down a lot of your comments. I am definitely keeping my cover letter and resume handy and brushing up on my facts, policies and procedures. I'm also mailing a thank you card.

I'll let you know how it goes. I really hope I get this job!