12 TIPS TO ACE A PHONE INTERVIEW

Woo! Congrats - you landed a phone interview. Although sometimes more challenging and unpredictable than an in person interview, this could be the first step of your next big opportunity. The current status of our world and the Covid-19 crisis has made phone interviews the gold standard in the job search process. Naturally, there is nothing easy about getting on a call with someone you have never met, who is ready to judge every word that comes out of your mouth (and how it comes out, for that matter). So let’s talk about the top tips for acing a phone interview in 2020.

Preparation

Once the details of the call have been ironed out (date, time, who calls who, ect), there are a few things to keep in mind when preparing...

1. Do your research

Go to the company website and click through everything. Understand their business, product, services, revenue streams, ect. Know how the company operates and what they do. It is not uncommon for an interviewer to ask “what do you know about our company”. Being underprepared will jump out quickly and be a major disadvantage.

Current events and news on the company is a great way to show you have been up to date on the latest announcements. This is an easy way to also prove you have done your homework. Most company sites have a “news” or “current events” section embedded, however if not, a quick google search is your best back up resource.

2. Prepare a cheat sheet

Now that you are an expert on this company, why not take notes and build a “cheat sheet”. Write down anything important you think you might need such as names, dates, or other major facts that nerves might get in the way of remembering. The best part about the phone interview is being able to look at the cheat sheet. Let’s call it a safety net. At the bare minimum it makes you feel more confident knowing you have some back up information at your disposal.

3. Know your audience

As soon as you receive the interview details for the call, search this person on linked in and take a look at their background. Whether they are an HR/Talent Acquisition professional, or the CFO/CEO of the company, knowing something about them helps build rapport and gives you an understanding of where they are coming from. Plus, maybe you have something in common (fellow alumni of a college/university or company) that could be a quick and easy talking point to break the ice.

4. Use the job description

Read through the job description with the same attitude you do general research on the company. The responsibilities and expectations outlined in the description are an easy outline for how you should be tailoring or highlighting your own experience. Be sure to show how your background fits and can plug into this function. Often it is even appropriate to explicitly state you have hands on and direct experience in some of the points outlined in the description.

5. Be in the right environment

Limit noise, distractions, or anything that could affect the literal quality of the call. Simple as that. Using headphones is a great way to be sure audio quality is the best it can be. You want to make sure you are able to hear loud and clear, and can be heard loud and clear. Speak loud and enthusiastic enough to sound engaged in the conversation.

6. Have your resume handy

Similar to your cheat sheet, your resume in front of you is a means to a safety net and back up. By this point, knowing your resume inside and out is important, as anything on it is fair game.

During the Call

7. Be ready for THE questions

There are some very commonly asked questions that will likely come up during a phone interview. No promises these show up on the call, but given the shorter nature of the interview, these can be a common way to vet candidates from the interviewer's perspective. 

• Tell me a little bit about your work history.
• Why are you looking to leave your current company? 
• What would you say are some of your strengths and weaknesses?
• What is the biggest challenge you have seen at your current position and how did you overcome it?
• Describe a substantial win in your last position.
• What was your favorite/least favorite element of your last position?
• How can you contribute to our company’s success?
• How well do you work by yourself, with a team?
• Why are you interested in coming to work for us? 
• Why are you attracted to this specific position?
• What makes you the ideal candidate for this position?
• How far along are you in your search? Are you speaking to other companies? 
• Where do you see yourself in five years?

8. Be mindful of talking vs listening

Be sure to give the interview all the time they need to curate the interview. Give thoughtful answers with examples to support the answer if applicable, but make sure not to talk too long and ramble. Nerves set in making this a byproduct. Be mindful of how much you are talking and how in depth the answers based on knowing your audience (for example the same question would likely be answered with 2 different levels of detail if you were speaking with HR vs a CFO/CEO)

9. Be flexible and open minded

You may not love everything you are hearing about the job you are interviewing for but go with the flow and appear flexible and willing to do what needs to be done to be a team player. Being unwilling to do part of the job you are interviewing for is a quick way to turn this person off from pursuing you. 

10. Sound like you are listening

Using fillers like “right”, “ok”, “yea”, “makes sense”, ect. Words that give feedback to the person talking that subtly shows them you are actively engaged in listening to them. Radio silence can sometimes make things awkward.

11. Be ready to talk compensation (just in case)

Typically this will not come up on the first call of the process, however being prepared just in case is a must. Compensation is always a tougher topic, but the best response is something like “I am most focused on the opportunity and the company, and am looking for a competitive offer for someone with my background.” More often than not this is good enough at this stage in the game. If it is asked again or a specific number is requested, going with a range of 5-10k is recommended of the salary you would realistically accept. 

12. Prepare questions

Strong questions are a way to leave a great last impression. Thoughtful questions about the role, firm, future or the team, what this person likes most about working there, something about current events, ect are good starters. Avoid anything that you wouldn't describe as a “safe” question. 

There we have it. My top 12 tips to acing your next phone interview. Feel free to reach out directly with any questions or if I can help further in any way. Stay tuned for more tips and tricks during your job search process.

GOOD LUCK!

JJK