Telephone interview Thursday morning, any advice?
- Thread starter sorearm
- Start date
souljacker
innit
Do it in the nude. For the lulz.
stuff_it
Too skool for cool
Sometimes this is when they start dropping all the 'tell us about a conflict you have resolved' and shit like that. Try to be sober. Don't mumble. Attempt to remain calm.
Treat it pretty much the same as you would a face-to-face interview, have a few questions for them etc.
Make sure your phone is charged up and you're not still at the rave.
Schmetterling
I saw something nasty in the woodshed!
Don't breathe heavily down the phone. Actually; do! 
If they call you answer with: 'Girl six!'
If they call you answer with: 'Girl six!'
stuff_it
Too skool for cool
Nah, answer 'Mistress Whiptease'.Don't breathe heavily down the phone. Actually; do!
If they call you answer with: 'Girl six!'
Amateurs
Having done a couple of these recently, I would say when you get the call, answer "Good Morning, Sorearm speaking!" in a loud, and more importantly, confident voice. This marks you out as a smart, alert, go-to kind of chap/chapess, that the person on the other end of the phone would be happy to work with. Generally the phone interviewer will be your potential colleague.
Next, slow your speech down. It does sound counter-intuitive, and you'll think that you'll sound like a 45 played at 33 - you won't. The interviewer on the other end of the phone will thank you for it (you'll sound a lot better and clearer that if you speak in your normal pitch), and it will also give you time to speak.
Don't forget in a face to face interview, you can add all those physical clues to what you say - posture, body language etc. Over the phone you can't. So make sure you try and project that impression of competence and interest over the phone. The slowing your speech down I mentioned earlier will aid in this. Imagine you wan't to discuss a medical condition with a doctor - how would you like them to sound?
You can always practice this - get a mate to ring you, and ask you technical question. Practice sounding like you are a technical authority over the phone.
Finally, and this does sound really weird - make sure you dress for the phone interview in the same way as you would dress for the face to face. Obviously you can't do this if you are sneaking out in your lunch hour, but if you are at home you can. Its more a subconscious thing, but it helps to get you in the right mindset, which gets your voice in the right mindset.
Next, slow your speech down. It does sound counter-intuitive, and you'll think that you'll sound like a 45 played at 33 - you won't. The interviewer on the other end of the phone will thank you for it (you'll sound a lot better and clearer that if you speak in your normal pitch), and it will also give you time to speak.
Don't forget in a face to face interview, you can add all those physical clues to what you say - posture, body language etc. Over the phone you can't. So make sure you try and project that impression of competence and interest over the phone. The slowing your speech down I mentioned earlier will aid in this. Imagine you wan't to discuss a medical condition with a doctor - how would you like them to sound?
You can always practice this - get a mate to ring you, and ask you technical question. Practice sounding like you are a technical authority over the phone.
Finally, and this does sound really weird - make sure you dress for the phone interview in the same way as you would dress for the face to face. Obviously you can't do this if you are sneaking out in your lunch hour, but if you are at home you can. Its more a subconscious thing, but it helps to get you in the right mindset, which gets your voice in the right mindset.
Make sure you have a mug of tea or glass of water to hand for oral lubrication and don't be afraid to say, "Excuse me a moment" and drink a bit. Never do it without warning your interviewer. It's also a good means of making a pause to gather your thoughts.
Make sure your mobile is fully charged.
Make sure your mobile is fully charged.
equationgirl
Respect my existence or expect my resistance
Best of luck!
If it is in the IT field they may call you on a field telephone. I hope the grass is not wet that morning. 
Good luck, it sounds intriguing being interviewed down the line.
Good luck, it sounds intriguing being interviewed down the line.
Puddy_Tat
naturally fluffy
Broadly, what others have said.
Not so sure I'd go as far as dressing up formally if you're at home, but the chances are you will sound that bit clearer if you're sat in an upright chair (or stood up) rather than on the sofa / still in bed.
Probably worth having a paper copy of whatever CV / covering letter they sent you to hand.
Telephone interviews are usually the crappy generic questions like 'give an example of a time you did blah' (e.g. resolved a conflict, dealt with a difficult situation, 'went the extra mile' - whatever the heck that means, but it seems to be popular with interviewers at the moment - and so on)
And obviously, try to reduce / eliminate background noises / potential distractions.
Hope it goes well
Not so sure I'd go as far as dressing up formally if you're at home, but the chances are you will sound that bit clearer if you're sat in an upright chair (or stood up) rather than on the sofa / still in bed.
Probably worth having a paper copy of whatever CV / covering letter they sent you to hand.
Telephone interviews are usually the crappy generic questions like 'give an example of a time you did blah' (e.g. resolved a conflict, dealt with a difficult situation, 'went the extra mile' - whatever the heck that means, but it seems to be popular with interviewers at the moment - and so on)
And obviously, try to reduce / eliminate background noises / potential distractions.
Hope it goes well
corieltauvi
Looks like shit, smells like shit, tastes of shit.
I've never dressed formally for a telephone interview - except for the Skype interview. And I've only done the two in my pants (well, with a dressing gown on too). Dress in whatever makes you comfortable. I do have notes and CVs in front of me but I'm not quick witted enough to talk bollocks and read notes at the same time.
I now have a telephone interview tomorrow for an IT job - my 25th interview since losing my job
Should I do this one totally nude to celebrate this great landmark or should I use one of my fancy dress costumes?
I now have a telephone interview tomorrow for an IT job - my 25th interview since losing my job
Should I do this one totally nude to celebrate this great landmark or should I use one of my fancy dress costumes?
stuff_it
Too skool for cool
So the OP should put on a suit and say: Hello, I've got a sore arm. I'm aaaa teeeechnnniiiiccccaaaallll eeeeeeexxxxpppeeeeerrrttt, ssccuuuusseeey mmmeeee I nneeed tew luuuuuuuube maaaaiii mmmmoooouuutth.'
There's a good chance that the questions you are asked are going to be from the person spec that came out with the original application. You may also be asked about something you wrote in the same, so keep it to hand.
8ball
Decolonise colons!
This.
Puddy_Tat
naturally fluffy
I wonder if I can work from a distance, as I'm not moving to where the job is and the commute is >2 hours by train (and stupid expensive), plus it would mean not seeing the kids much through the week - or the other half. I'm treating is an experience, to find out what is being asked for in this area and for practice. Got 4 job applications in at the moment.
corieltauvi
Looks like shit, smells like shit, tastes of shit.
I've compromised - I'm now sat here just wearing my fluffy rabbit head (from my bunny costume) and pants, waiting for the call.^ this
I would've worn my Lord of the Rings dwarf mask but can't hear anything with it on.
Feeling very relaxed.
I've done a weekly commute before. It's not so bad. But it's expensive and only really worth it if you're on a contract where you can expense your extra living costs.
silverfish
Sprinkling glitter on turds
Have your CV pinned up, dissect it a bit and put additional notes beside it as prompts for "soundbites" or messages you want to get across.
Prep up the standard answers to the obvious questions, Why do you want to work for us etc
Review the company website and look and any clients they have listed on their website. Think of something relevant or interesting to say or ask about each one, maybe tie it in with areas of your CV
Write done each interviewer name and role as you get introduced, use their names naturally in responses without sounding like some sort of derren brown/NLP wierdo
chill, most telephone interviews I've had have been been group calls with each interviewer trying to impose their authority/role in the interview. let them gob off about their shit
I got my best job crouched in the yemeni desert on a sat phone with a warbly call to prayers going off in the background
Prep up the standard answers to the obvious questions, Why do you want to work for us etc
Review the company website and look and any clients they have listed on their website. Think of something relevant or interesting to say or ask about each one, maybe tie it in with areas of your CV
Write done each interviewer name and role as you get introduced, use their names naturally in responses without sounding like some sort of derren brown/NLP wierdo
chill, most telephone interviews I've had have been been group calls with each interviewer trying to impose their authority/role in the interview. let them gob off about their shit
I got my best job crouched in the yemeni desert on a sat phone with a warbly call to prayers going off in the background
Pingu
Credo
what silverfish said re cv. have it printed with notes next to bits you want to highlight.
do you know if it wil be a competency based interview or not?
pause before answering and remeber that they are there.. i have tendancy to waffle more in phone interviews.
make sure you are somewhere you wont be disturbed, nothing worse than you about to wow them with your best bit and a dog starts barking in the background or the doorbell goes etc.
sounds weird but wear a suit, it puts you in a more formal frame of mind. you feel like a twat but it works
ask questions about the role. they wil be conscious of time (more so thanin a face to face) so the more time you can get them talking about the role/company the less space you have to fill.
do you know if it wil be a competency based interview or not?
pause before answering and remeber that they are there.. i have tendancy to waffle more in phone interviews.
make sure you are somewhere you wont be disturbed, nothing worse than you about to wow them with your best bit and a dog starts barking in the background or the doorbell goes etc.
sounds weird but wear a suit, it puts you in a more formal frame of mind. you feel like a twat but it works
ask questions about the role. they wil be conscious of time (more so thanin a face to face) so the more time you can get them talking about the role/company the less space you have to fill.
corieltauvi
Looks like shit, smells like shit, tastes of shit.
For one I had roadworks outside my house. For another my brother in law rang up about 2 minutes before it was meant to start - he was politely told to shove off.
I'm hoping I've now got a job for which I was originally telephone interviewed for back in July.
I'm hoping I've now got a job for which I was originally telephone interviewed for back in July.
Well that went OK
Quite surreal having a telephone interview - I think I did OK, had a good spiel about the 'life history/tell us about yourself' bit.
Couple of people talked about their section and what they do and where the role would fit, they basically want to replicate the set up for data analysis they have overseas and have no staff here at the moment. eek not sure I'd be able to do that (!).
Also would mean relocation - which was asked about, but personal situation is a bit dicey on that. Means I'd never see the kids...
Quite surreal having a telephone interview - I think I did OK, had a good spiel about the 'life history/tell us about yourself' bit.
Couple of people talked about their section and what they do and where the role would fit, they basically want to replicate the set up for data analysis they have overseas and have no staff here at the moment. eek not sure I'd be able to do that (!).
Also would mean relocation - which was asked about, but personal situation is a bit dicey on that. Means I'd never see the kids...
corieltauvi
Looks like shit, smells like shit, tastes of shit.
Good luck - hope it works out for you.
RubyToogood
RubyTwobikes
What did you say when they asked? Because if they picked up on that they probably just won't offer you the job. Which is fine if you don't want it for that reason.
