Telephone Interview Tips

The first thing is to make sure you can take the call at the agreed time. You need to be somewhere where you can’t be disturbed, somewhere quiet, with good reception.Unless you are really confident of your reception on a mobile choose to have the call on a landline where possible.

Be prepared. So take the same approach that you would to a face to face interview and read the job spec, visit their web site, and have some questions ready (written down so you don’t forget them).

Have your CV to hand. Clients will often refer to your CV and if you haven’t got it nearby you might not be able to answer their questions so easily.
One point to bear in mind is that phone interviews can be more challenging than face to face interviews as you don’t get any visual signals.

Speak slowly – the interviewer has never spoken to you before and will take time to “tune into” your voice.

Don’t slouch – sit upright as you would in a face to face interview as your voice will carry better this way. Ideally think of yourself being on a video call and this will help overall.

Keep your answers short – not too short – but bear in mind if the interviewer wants you to expand on something they will ask.

Smile – this can be heard in your voice – especially if you are sitting up straight – this will immediately create a more “I’m interested in your company” impression. You will sound more switched on and more lively, and will be more likely