Acing the Phone Interview

By: Teri Grimes

Last week, we had a corporate recruiter named Abby Kohut speak to our class on a few tricks she picked up from her 16+ years of experience on the job. One of the topics she covered stuck out most in my mind because of my recent experience with them: phone interviews. She shared with us the recruiter’s perspective on what makes a good phone interview, and how to avoid the pitfalls that made recruiters not call you back.

The purpose of a phone screen is to find out if they want to interview you further. If at the end of the phone call they don’t specifically schedule a date for your next interview, that means that they probably don’t. If the recruiter says something like “I’ll pass your resume to a hiring manager” or “we’re not scheduling right now but we’ll keep in touch,” that usually means that they’re not interested. Why don’t they just come out and say it instead of using language that could keep your hopes up? Because then you might ask why you weren’t fit for the position and after they tell you, you still might argue to defend yourself. This way just keeps the recruiter on schedule by not dealing with unhappy candidates.

The number one rule of phone interviews is to always answer your phone. Recruiters have a certain number of candidates that they have to reach per day, and if you don’t answer your phone they might move on to the next person on the list and skip you entirely. No matter what you’re doing, however, tell them that you’re not in a place where you can talk and ask if they can call you back in half an hour or if you can call them back. Even if you’re at home and ready for an interview, say that you aren’t. This way, you have half an hour to research the company and use your knowledge to impress the recruiter. Know everything you can in that half hour about the company and the job listing.

Be aware of your first impressions on the phone as well. If you see an unlisted number and think that it’s a telemarketer, you might answer in a way that sounds boring and unhappy. This will be the recruiter’s first impression for you. If instead you say something like “Excellent, I have been waiting for your call!” The recruiter will be excited to talk to you as well. Keep in mind that phone calls often make you sound mellow and tired even if you’re an enthusiastic person. Try to keep your energy up by walking around the room, possibly occasionally passing a mirror and smiling at yourself. Recruiters can hear a smile through the phone.

Be sure to be using the C-A-R stories I blogged about earlier, and with these tips you should ace any phone interview!