How to Prepare for a Phone Interview

You’ve completed the first step of your job search—you’ve written a resume. Your resume must have been a strong one, because the company you applied to wants to conduct a phone interview with you! Congratulations, but don’t go celebrating just yet. There are still several steps in the interview process. And, in order to get there, you need to nail your phone interview. Here’s how to prepare for a phone interview.

Research the Company

First, you need to research the company. Sure, you probably took a cursory glance at the website to craft your cover letter. For an interview, though, you should have a strong understanding of what the company does. This allows you to ask thoughtful questions when the hiring manager/recruiter asks, “Do you have any questions for me?” Here are some tips on what you should know before the interview:

What industry is the company in?
What are their major products?
Who is their competition?

These three questions can help you speak more intelligently to how your skill set can help the organization.

Research Who’s Calling

Also, you should find out who is calling you for the interview. If you understand who is calling you and what their role is at the company, you can better tailor your answers. So, if someone from the recruiting team calls you, you won’t necessarily have to showcase your technical expertise on a subject. Instead, you’ll highlight your work experience and how it relates to the role.

Practice

I know it sounds silly to suggest conducting a fake interview, but you should. Come up with possible questions you may be asked. If you can’t think of any—or it’s your first interview—research. (As you can see, one big proponent of how to prepare for a phone interview—or any interview, for that matter—is research, research, research.) In fact, Indeed lists possible interview questions you can expect, so prepare how you’d answer some of these questions.

Keep Your Schedule Open

So, what do you do when it comes to the day of the interview? For starters, make sure you keep your schedule clear for an hour before and after the interview start time. This allows you to not be rushing around before—or god forbid during (a big no no!)—you’re discussing the potential position.

Find a Quiet Place

One major aspect of how to prepare for a phone interview that is often forgotten is the actual interview itself. You should plan on conducting your conversation in a place that is quiet and free of distractions. This allows you to focus on listening attentively and answering the questions thoroughly.

Remember Proper Phone Etiquette

Finally, you need to remember proper phone etiquette. When you answer the phone, you should do your best to smile. The interviewer won’t see it, but by smiling, your tone is more friendly. Also, you should remember to clearly say your full name. For example, here is a good way to answer the phone: “Hello, this is [insert first name] [insert last name].”

If you apply these tips on how to prepare for a phone interview, you should be ready for the next step of the interview process! Also, if you’re looking for a job, you should consider using Applied Resource Group, Atlanta’s premier staffing agency. When you work with our staffing agency, you get highly trained experts who have perfected the art of matching candidates with their ideal company. Either way, happy job hunting!