Tips for Acing Your Phone Interview

When it comes to phone interviews, you must always remember that the words that come out of your mouth can never be put back in once they reach the ears of the listener.

The person interviewing you may ask a number of questions, and the answers you give will mean the difference between landing a high paying job you have been searching for, or end-up being rejected by your potential employer.

Having said that, it is always better to think before you speak. Many people make the mistake of speaking before they think, and not only can this lead to disaster during the phone interview, it can lead to problems with your personal life as well.

When the interviewer asks you a question, answer the question directly. Do not answer a question with a question, and never go around the question you have been asked. Just answer it directly.

When you answer a question with a question, or attempt to dodge it, you will make the interviewer suspicious.

For example, imagine if the interviewer asks you a question such as: what qualities do you feel you have that makes you an effective applicant for this job? With a question like this, you must be able to give a clear and concise answer.

You should take a second or two to think about the answer, but no longer than this. If you take too long this may be bad for the interview, but answering the question too quickly can cause you to make mistakes.

Under no circumstances should you ever interrupt the interviewer while they are speaking. Of all the mistakes you could make during a phone interview, this is the fastest way to kill your chances of winning. Interrupting people is rude in general, and companies do not want rude people working for them.

If you have a habit of cutting people off during conversations, then this is a habit that you must get under control "before" your phone interview starts.

When you talk to people, practice "listening" as opposed to trying to speak a lot. Only begin speaking once the other person is finished talking.

Listening Skills

One of the most important aspects of acing a phone interview is to have good listening skills. Even if you are the most eloquent speaker in the world, you will kill your phone interview if you are a poor listener.

For example, if you are not a good listener, and the interviewer asks you a question, and you are not paying attention to what is being said, how will you be able to properly answer the question?

Phone interviewers "do not" like having to repeat themselves. If you have to ask them to repeat anything they said because you were not listening, you run the risk of killing your chances of getting the job.

If you are not a good listener on the phone, why on Earth should any company want you working for them?

Even if you are a good listener, there are times when things in your environment may distract you. Perhaps your cat knocks over a bowl when leaping onto the table, or something else occurs which acts as a distraction.

The best way around this problem is to alleviate potential distractions before they occur.

When you take a phone interview, the person speaking to you should have your undivided attention. Nothing else, including family members, pets, televisions, or the radio, should act as a distraction for you.

Remember, this interview may be your only shot to land the job you want, and you do not want some stupid distraction in the background to kill it.

Other Phone Etiquette Tips

It goes without saying that under no circumstances you should chew or even drinking anything while you are on the phone. If the interviewer hears you chewing on food, this will sound not only unprofessional, but disgusting as well. Eating during a phone interview is just as stupid as eating during a physical job interview, and will lead to the same results.