Don't be afraid to pick up the phone! The telephone interview is by far becoming more and more popular. Many job hunters still get that adrenalin rush even with the phone interviews. But following the tips and advice in this article will help you master the phone interview and get you to the next step - the face to face interview. | How To Master Telephone Interviews By Leslie Plotkin Don t be afraid to pick up the phone The telephone interview is by far becoming more and more popular. Many job hunters still get that adrenalin rush even with the phone interviews. But following the tips and advice in this article will help you master the phone interview and get you to the next step - the face to face interview. Often the first step in the hiring process is the telephone interview. Companies and the recruiters they employ use the telephone interview to develop a pool of candidates to look at closer and to pare down the number of applicants for a job opening. The advantages to the company are the cost is less. the list of questions can be standardized. the interview can be delegated to a lower level cheaper employee. it can be done quickly. The aims on both sides of the telephone are limited. The caller wants a selection of qualified candidates and the process screens out many candidates. If the call is a straightforward screening call the caller will likely ask about your experience availability and salary requirements. Your strategy is to provide facts that support your resume with some context about your performance. Try using numbers and facts to be effective however you don t want to volunteer anything that could disqualify you . Make every effort to sound professional but not personal as this call is not to establish rapport. Since you are unlikely to win the job from a telephone interview your goal is to secure an in-person interview with the person who has the authority to hire. Approach the call with that attitude. Managing the Telephone Interview Try to reschedule surprise interviews. Say that you have a conflict and suggest a time you can call back. When you call back be prepared for the call just as you would for a full-dress interview. Have ready pen and paper a calculator the job ad and the resume and cover letter which you sent in response to the ad. a list of your accomplishments
