ARE YOU READY TO BE INTERVIEWED BY PHONE?
By John Artise
From, National Business Employment
Weekly
Rick Boyd didn't
have to wait long after mailing his resume to the CFO of a
fast-growing IT Company located just 15 miles from his home. He got a
call from the CFO a week later, who said he was impressed with Mr. Boyd's work
experience.
Eager to schedule
an interview, Mr. Boyd quickly suggested several dates and times he could be
available to meet. Much to his surprise, the CFO jumped in with, "I
appreciate your eagerness, Rick, but if you've got about 30 minutes right now,
Frank Merrill, our Chief Information Officer, and I would like to interview you
over the phone in a conference call. We want to see if it's mutually beneficial
for us to meet some time soon. OK?"
Taken back by the
suggestion and feeling a bit uncomfortable, Mr. Boyd hesitantly agreed. He
didn't have his resume in front of him or a copy of the cover letter he'd sent
to the CFO. He was nervous, felt unprepared and literally drew a blank at the
CIO's first question, "What prompted you to apply to our company?"
After flubbing the answer, he stumbled his way through the rest of his
interview that went steadily downhill. The entire conversation lasted only 10
minutes and ended by the CFO's signing off with, "Thanks for your time,
Rick. We'll be in touch."
All too often, job
seekers aren't prepared to conduct a full-blown job interview by telephone. Yet
employers increasingly are relying on the telephone interview to screen
applicants more thoroughly to determine if there's a fit before flying them
out. This way, employers save time and expensive of travel and lodging costs.
Mr. Boyd might
have fared a lot better had he adhered to the following 4 tips on telephone
interviewing:
1. Always be
prepared for a full-blown interview, not just a quick screening. Have copies
of your resume and cover letter stored somewhere near your
phone to use as a guide.
2. Be ready to answer why, when and how regarding your
educational background and work
experience. Telephone interviewers favor these types of
questions because they help
screen applicants faster. Typical queries include: "Why
did you stay at XYZ company
for so many years?
Why did you choose
from section supervisor to branch manager in such a short
time?" and "When did you
encounter the greatest challenge of your career to
date?"
3. Take
charge of the phone interview after the first five minutes or so, but not
before.
Telephone
interviewers usually are practiced at taking control and need to impose their
agenda right away. At this point, they're bent on doing more
talking than listening, so
listen carefully before you speak.
4. Be ready to give a 60-second commercial to interviewers that
outlines the highlights of
your background, skills and knowledge. This description
should qualify you and justify
your reason for wanting to work for the company.
Of course, one disadvantage of a
telephone interview is that the interviewer isn't aware of your physical
appearance. It's no secret that projecting an impressive image and using
positive body language can significantly improve your chances of gaining an
offer. However, you can compensate for not being visible by projecting a powerful
sound image that allows hiring managers to "see" your personality
and behavioral style via your voice.
The key to retaining listener's
attention is to use clear, concise, fact-filled sentences and phrases when you
speak. Also, interject short responses intermittently to acknowledge the
interviewer's statements ("yes, I see," "I agree,"
"that's interesting ... smart idea," etc.) and show that you're
closely engaged in the conversation.
Also…you want to "Smile through the phone"…it changes the
timber and pitch to your voice which projects you as an enthusiastic and
confident candidate!
If you project a strong sound
image, the interviewer is likely to make positive assumptions about your
candidacy, such as:
·
You're someone who's
savvy about the industry and the impact you can make on the company.
·
You're self-confident.
·
You're experienced at
selling over the phone. This is a plus, especially if the job requires client
development and relationship management. You'll come across as a candidate who
should be referred to others in the company for further interviews.
What's interesting about sound is
that it grabs an interviewer's attention faster and more consistently than a
visual image in a face-to-face meeting. That's because the interviewer is
concentrating his or her auditory senses on your voice in an attempt to
formulate a picture of you. The more positive points you relay in your message,
the better the picture.
TOUGH QUESTIONS
If you aren't accustomed to being
interviewed by phone, some questions may seem particularly difficult to answer.
Here are suggested ways of handling those common queries.
"Tell me
about yourself!" When answering, give a concise, one-minute,
fact-filled account of your most current achievements. Be sure to come out of the
starting gate running hard with a confident, clear description of your
strongest skills and achievements. A suggested response: "I'm currently a
design engineer for XYZ Co., focusing on high-technology, waste-treatment
microprocessors for industrial use. Several months ago, I designed and led a
key team project for the city of
This type of answer opens the door
to a series of probing questions focusing on your leadership ability, skills
and expertise. Remember, in order to respond fluidly, keep
your resume and a separate
list of accomplishments nearby or, better yet,
a list of descriptive projects pertaining to your background and
experience.
"What would you like to do
in our organization?" This is another "screener" question usually asked
at the beginning of the conversation to determine the need for further
discussion. A suggested response: "I've decided to pursue a controllership
at this point in my career since all of my previous experience has prepared me
for this move. However, I'd like to bring an additional dimension to the job
that will add value the function." Stop here and wait for the
interviewer's response.
"What's the added
dimension?" Now you've sparked
the interviewer's interest. "Well, I'm confident that I can bring valuable
expertise in investment management, especially in new, state-of-the-art
technology. As your controller, I can take an active role in advising you on
the best, most cost-effective monetary investments in cutting-edge automated
systems."
A
statement like this maintains the interviewer's interest, especially when
articulated assertively.
"How much money are you
looking for?" This question can be
tricky, since your negotiating strength is greater in person when you can use
facial expressions and body language to make a point. You might try to defer
the issue until the end of the interview by saying something like:
"Frankly, I'm not prepared to discuss compensation until I know more about
the job." Then take charge with your next comment: "Let's talk about
the content and requirements of the position so that we can better discuss
compensation."
Another approach is to avoid giving
a direct response by reversing the question: "You've read my mind. What's
the salary range you're offering for the job? I'm sure that I can be
flexible." If you respond quickly and assertively enough, you'll probably
get the interviewer to cooperate.
ACT
LIKE YOU'RE READY
Being prepared for a possible phone
interview worked well for an employment manager at a New Jersey bank who
answered an executive ad in the Wall Street Journal. Several weeks passed
without a response, so she assumed the company wasn't interested. But one
Sunday evening, the firm's personnel director called her at home. Fortunately,
since she'd kept her resume, cover letter and copy of the ad next to the phone,
it was easy for her to come across as well prepared.
"When they respond to your
application for a job ad, they're usually ready to grill you ... and they
almost always call you in the evening," she says. "My advice is to
act like you were expecting the call and that you want to get down to business.
Also, have a few intelligent, probing questions prepared for the caller, and
don't be afraid to ask one or two early in the interview.
CLOSING
TECHNIQUES
On the phone, feel free to close
earlier than you would when face-to-face, especially if you sense that the
interviewer has relinquished control to you and is impressed with your
presentation. Don't hesitate to suggest a personal meeting at the interviewer's
convenience. Some good closing lines include: "Well, Mr. Smith, I feel
real good about the job as you've described it, and I am interested in talking
further. Can we schedule to meet in person over the next few days?"
If the company is far away, say:
"I'd like to pursue this further. When
do you plan to be in my area so that we can meet?" or "When would you
be willing to fly me out to meet with you? The position really sounds like a
great match, and I'm eager to meet your colleagues at the company to get a
better sense of the overall fit."
Even if you use the best closing
line remember that it's still easier for interviewers to reject you by phone
than in person. Distance has a way of reducing their discomfort. A classic line
used by phone interviewers to "disconnect" from you goes something
like this: "While I think your background is impressive, I really don't
see a match here. You're not quite what we're looking for." Sometimes, the
interviewer is playing devil's advocate and is really testing to see if you're
tenacious and can make a firm case for your candidacy.
Some suggested responses include:
"I'm quite surprised to hear you say that. Let me recap the match points
between my background and the job as you've described it. If you need
additional information or more supportive evidence, please jump in and
ask." This type of response leaves the door open for the interviewer to
cover more bases and fill in the cracks, which could change the picture in your
favor.
You also might say: "I'm not
sure we're in agreement. What areas are you uncomfortable with? I'd like to address them point by
point." Or, "I realize that it's difficult for both of us to make a
sound, informed decision over the phone. I think it would be worth our time to
meet in person before we come to a joint conclusion. Can we meet briefly next
week?"
If your image is better projected
in person, press for a personal interview. That's the only way you can convert
a "no" into a "yes."
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