Ace the phone interview

When you are expecting a phone interview, you must prepare to make a great impression. 

RESEARCH the company - What has the company published about themselves in the last year? If a company has a public presence, they will have put out press releases. Find out what the company says to the public about itself.

What does the company produce (how do they make money)? Who are their competitors? Where are they growing or downsizing? Do they have operations in multiple locations or markets? Do they outsource any of their operations?  What projects are they pursuing? Your goal is to understand the company and its market position at a high level. Find out what their challenges and pain points are, and determine how you can help them improve. If you have more than a few days notice, you might find people within the company and ask them for insight – you are seeking basic information, not insider trading secrets.

Next research the people you will be talking with – Usually you have at least one name. Look them up on LinkedIn, and READ their profile. Google them and see if they are on Face book. See what their background is (do you have any schools or companies in common) and interests (do you both have daughters in ballet or do you both like to ski)? This is research to allow you to have a comfortable conversation, but you will not bring these things up unless they talk about them FIRST in the conversation.

If you have a headset with a microphone, use it so your hands are free to take notes. TEST it to confirm it is in full working order.

On the day of the interview, before the call….

Practice talking, especially if you live alone or haven't spoken to anyone yet that day. Sing a song, say a tongue twister, practice your elevator speech. You want your voice to be strong and friendly.

Have your resume in front of you; if they ask a question about your resume, it is easy to be flustered if you are not sure which position they are talking about. Take a few minutes to review your resume.

Have the job description in front of you and go over it before the call. Make notes of any questions you would like to ask about the position and the company.

Have a tablet and a working writing implement in front of you. Write the name of the company and date on the top of the page. 

During the call….

When each person is introduced, write their name and all related information (title, department, etc.) down in a column. When each person speaks, note their question/comment beside their name. This way you can say, "As I mentioned to Bob, …." and they see you are engaged and paying attention. If someone is involved in the interview, but they do not ask a question, you might say, "I have responded to questions from everyone except Mark….Mark do you have any questions for me?" 

Take notes on what you are told; if they tell you five things they want to accomplish, write them down and you will be able to ask intelligent questions about things important to THEM. If they tell you about the three areas they will be focused on, or a date a project needs to go live, record it so you can speak about it.

If you have action items, (provide an example of analysis, etc.), record it and be sure you have the who, what, when, and where for each item – how should you deliver it? By email, to what address? How many pages would they expect (It is very disconcerting to receive 60 pages of analysis when you expected three)?

At the end of the interview, after all questions and answers have been exchanged, and they ask if you have any last questions, you might say this:"I am interested in the position, feel I my skills and experiences fit your needs, so I would like to ask: have you heard anything that makes you think I might not be the BEST person for this position? If so, I would like to address it now." This is a bold move, but shows them you are serious, and you may be given the opportunity to hear and respond to a concern about your experience or education.

If you are working with a recruiter, they will want a call after the interview. Take a few minutes before you make the call to summarize the interview and your impressions, and write them at the bottom of the page. This written record is helpful if you have multiple interviews and the companies, interviews and people get confusing.

Keep your company research and the interview record together; they are useful should there be a second or third interview. Sending a thank you to each person who interviewed you is also easier with this information.

Cheers!