The Telephone Interview

Research - Prior to the phone call, make sure that you do an in depth research of the company website. Knowing the particulars of the potential employers website will demonstrate to the interviewer that you are prepared and have done your homework.

Why are you Interviewing? - Know the reason why you would like to work at the company and please do not say for the MONEY! State a specific reason or give an example of that encourages you to seek employment with this company. Every one loves to be flattered…just make sure that you don’t over do it.

Laundry List – Make sure that you have a list of accomplishments and pertinent skills in front of you and know why are you a fit for this particular position. A helpful hint in creating this list is to have the actual job description. By knowing the job requirements and referencing the skills you possess, helps make you a great fit (Skill wise) for the position. If you can not articulate this, it is possible that you may not get to the face to face interview.

Shhh! Privacy Please - Schedule the interview at a time and number where you can be alone and talk freely. Land lines are of course better then the mobile phones whenever possible. Many people now have the ability to communicate C2C or Computer to Computer. For example, Yahoo Chat, Google Talk or Skype offer these type of services. However, I would highly suggest using a land line or mobile phone since the C2C software may have delays making it a bit tedious to listen to questions and answer them in a timely manner.

Resume at the Ready - Be sure to have your resume in front of you so you can follow along with your background as they ask you questions.

Be Honest - Answer questions as directly as possible. If you do not know, say so. Never Lie. Be candid, friendly, cheerful and courteous; confident but never cocky. If you sense that the other person wants to do lots of talking – please let them. People like others who are interested in hearing them talk! This also allows you some time to listen to the interviewer and really find out their particular interview tactics. This is an advanced skill that most job seekers may not learn immediately.

What's the Next Step? - At the end of the interview, try to get a face to face interview. Here is where you can “Ask for the interview” by simply asking what is the next step before hanging up the call.

Address Weaknesses - If you can, find out from the interviewer what they feel your strong points and weaknesses may be. This way, in the face to face interview you can reemphasize the strong points and address any perceived weaknesses. This is something of a delicate nature and I suggest prepping your phone interview with a mock interview with a skilled HR Representative or any Hiring Manager.