Have a phone interview coming up?

Don’t just wing it – phone interviews are often your first attempt to learn more about a job and make a great impression. Here are some good ways to prepare for and ace your next phone interview:

• If using a cell phone, camp out in a spot with the best reception possible.
• Get to a quiet room free of background noise & distraction. Let anyone who might be in the house / office know that you need uninterrupted time to be able to focus on the call.
• Stand, if possible. It lends strength to your voice and sharpens your focus.
• Any expression of interest and enthusiasm helps! So smile while you talk with them, even though they can’t see you. It will be reflected in your voice.
• Even if the call is slated for 30 minutes, block out one full hour just in case things start late or run long.
• Don’t multi-task. Avoid the impulse to surf the internet and if you are taking your call from the car – don’t drive.
• Keep your answers brief and to the point. They’ll have a certain number of questions to get through in a limited period of time and if you spend too much time answering any one question, it detracts from the whole interview.
• If you don’t understand the question, ask them to repeat it.
• If you don’t know the answer to a question, don’t try to make up an answer. Just let them know and move on to the next question.
• If you used to know the answer to a question or solved a similar problem earlier in your career, it’s o.k. to say that it’s been several years, so while you can’t remember the specifics now, you know where to find the answer or how to go about solving the problem.

Interview Tips