There are a number of aspects that you must take into consideration prior to your phone interview. The most important thing is to be prepared.

If you are not prepared for the phone interview, then you will most certainly fail. When you conduct your phone interview, you should be ready to provide highlights.

What this means is that you should be able to highlight your career summary within two minutes or less.

At some point during the phone interview, the person interviewing you will ask you questions involving why you feel you are qualified for the job, or they will ask you to introduce yourself.

It is at this point that you must be ready to give your summary. This summary can make or break your chance, so it is best to begin rehearsing it prior to the interview.

At no point during the phone interview should you ever read from a script. Reading from a script is bad for public speaking, and it is bad for phone interviews as well. When you read from a script, you will come off sounding as if you are a robot.

You will also convey a message to the interviewer that you are not a creative and capable person.

Companies are not looking for drones, they are looking for successful people who are ambitious and who can think for themselves.

When you give the interview, speak from the heart. Rehearse what you will say in advance, and say it from memory as opposed to reading it from a piece of paper.

During the phone interview, it is very important for you to make sure you "control the conversation." By doing this, you show the interviewer that you are a confident and commanding person who is capable of taking care of yourself. These are the traits that employers like.

One way of controlling the conversation is to ask the employer questions. Since the employer is asking you questions regarding why you are qualified to work for them, why not ask them questions about their company? After all, the company may not be cut out for you! This is the type of positive thinking that drives success.

Additional Tips

During your phone interview, it is always important for you to consider the short term goals of the company you are considering working for. Once you understand these concerns, you will be in a better position to show the employer how your skills can assist them.

The problem with most people who apply for jobs is that they do so with a "what is in it for me" attitude. To succeed, you must turn this dynamic around.

You must show the potential employer why your skills and credentials can allow you to help them solve the problems and challenges that their company faces. If the employer has a problem that you have helped solve before, be sure to inform them of this.

Handling the Tough Questions

It is also important to be prepared for the tough questions, such as those questions which involved moving from job-to-job, being fired by previous employers, or things of that nature. No matter what you do, it is absolutely critical for you to make sure you never criticize a former employer.

No matter how much you hate your former boss, and despite how rude or out of line they may have been, airing your dislikes of your former job with a potential employer is a terrible mistake. Being prepared for answering tough questions will give you that extra edge which will ensure interview success.