So you’re making the leap from the world of study to the world of work, and you’re pretty confident that with your winning attitude and your winning smile you should be able to get that graduate role. Then – shock horror – comes the message that the interview will be conducted over the phone. Yep, your first phone interview.
No winning smile, no reading your interviewer’s body language… Literally no foot in the door! Acing a phone interview requires a whole new set of techniques, and you may not yet have given them much thought. But don’t worry: there are lots of advantages to the phone interview as long as you know what you’re doing.
For starters, your interviewer can’t see you – so you can do what you like to make the situation more comfortable for you. Wear your pyjamas if it will make you more relaxed, but do bear in mind that wearing smart clothes and sitting upright in a formal position can actually have a positive effect on your confidence. And all that research you’re planning to do should still be learned by heart, but at least you can print a cheat sheet to keep handy in case your memory should let you down in the fog of the interview.
And don’t let the home setting of your interview make you leave everything to the last minute. Take care to foresee any potential interruptions, to get the room to an amenable temperature, and to warm up your voice. You might even do a few stretches to get the blood flowing, before taking your seat for a final ten minutes of calming meditation before the call.
Below you’ll find a full guide on how to prepare for and excel at your first phone interview — You’re just one call away from that dream job!
What advice would you give for someone’s first phone interview? Tell us below in the comments.
Featured photo: Fe Ilya / Flickr
I’m a freelance writer and I love what I do. My background is in human resources but I enjoy writing about different topics, such as leadership, self improvement and the importance of work/life balance.
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