Effective Tips To Help You Ace Your Telephonic Interview

 So, your polished resume has landed you a telephonic interview for your dream job!

Congratulations! It’s well-deserved, I’m sure.

A few years back, you would have had to go for a face-to-face interview, which sounds daunting, doesn’t it? Well, with the outbreak of the novel coronavirus and the rapid advancement of technology, we now live in a world where most meetings are done virtually.

Now, you might be thinking that since it’s going to be a telephonic interview, it would be a walk in the park as the interviewer won’t be able to see you, right? Nothing would make me happier than to tell you that acing the interview is going to be a piece of cake. Sadly, such is not the case.

You see, even though the interview will be conducted remotely, answering interview questions without much preparation can still be nerve-racking. I should know. I’ve been there and totally torpedoed my telephonic interview because, at the time, I was like “Well, it’s just a phone interview, they can’t even see me. What’s the worst that could happen?”

Little did I know that the worst that could happen was not getting a call back for the second round of the interview, which was a real downer because I really wanted the job.

Well. thanks to Google, I’ve learned from my mistake, and thought I’d share a few pointers on how to ace a phone interview.

The perfect spot

First things first, the location. You are going to need to find a room in your house where there won’t be much distraction, be it the sound of your dogs barking, your sister who’s on a Netflix binge with the volume at its highest, or your mom constantly asking you what you are up to. You will definitely need a room that has a lock inside where even the sounds of cars honking cannot be heard. Also, the room needs to have good cell reception. Get rid of any possible communication barrier. This way, you will be able to hear the interviewer perfect and answer accordingly.

Inform your family members to not disturb you during the interview. Any distraction can divert your train of thought.

Now that you’ve found the perfect spot, let’s get to work.

Do your research

You simply cannot interview for a company or a position, for that matter, that you have no idea about. You may have heard of the name and what they do but when asked to elaborate, would you be able to? No, right? Well, fret not for this is when doing thorough research comes to the rescue.

A night before the interview, visit the company’s website as well as their social media profiles. Sections like About Us and Mission Statements or Vision, among others, are not to be missed. Try to identify the key people such as the person who’s going to interview you as well as the head of the department you are applying for on job-oriented social media sites such as LinkedIn. Check out their profiles and try to get a gist of the work culture and what kind of employee they are looking for.

Jot down all the important details in your notebook so that when the time comes for the interview, it would act like your little cheat codes.

Practice makes perfect

Now, this is where it becomes a little tricky. Although the questions asked in a phone interview are not different from those asked in a face-to-face interview, the tone of your voice and as well as the energy you give can give the caller a bad impression. Plus, you need to be and sound confident. The best way to do this is through mock interviews.

Google the most common interview questions asked and ask your friend or any of your family members to act as the interviewer and give you a mock interview. Another effective way is to stand in front of a mirror and start interviewing yourself. Bear in mind that even though the interviewer won’t be able to see you, they will be able to tell whether you are an enthusiastic candidate or not (Trust me, you want to be an enthusiastic candidate rather than a dull one). So, to ensure that your voice is lively, smile. That’s right, your tone will sound more friendly with a smile on your face.

Dress not to impress but for success

One way to take a phone interview seriously is to follow every step that you would for a face-to-face interview, including dressing for the occasion.

Many studies have shown that dressing up and dressing well gives you confidence, thus increases your performance. One study in particular, which focused on how dressing up smartly can affect your cognitive processes, called this phenomenon “enclothed cognition”.

From top to bottom, dress up like you would for your first day at work. Trust me, it will do wonders for your confidence and productivity.

Listen actively, speak clearly, and do not interrupt

There is a high chance of connection interruption so ensure that you listen carefully and actively to what the interviewer is saying. Talk clearly and loud enough for them to hear you. Do not interrupt the interviewer or dominate the conversation. Remember to smile while speaking and be confident.

Do bear in mind that interviews are like dating, so the conversation has to be a two-way street in order to get to know each other better. If you have any doubt, do not hesitate to ask questions, but again, without interrupting the interviewer.

End on a good note

Whether you believe that you did well or not, end the interview on a good note. Thank the interviewer for the opportunity and their time. I do hope your smile is still in place even by the end of the conversation.

Now, to follow up, within 24 hours after the interview, send a thank-you email to the interviewer and let them know that you’d be eagerly waiting for their call. Hopefully, this thank-you email would guilt them into replying even if you didn’t make the cut. Hey, a reply is better than no reply, right?

But, as long as you meet the eligibility criteria, are well-versed in the subject concern, and follow these simple phone interview tips, I am positive that you’ll ace your interview.