12 Phone Interview Do's and Don'ts

1

 12 Phone Interview Do's and Don'ts That Really DO Matter

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Have an upcoming phone interview? Congratulations! Phone interviews can be both a blessing and curse: as part of a larger interview process, phone interviews generally mean you will have multiple opportunities to impress an interviewer. But since there's probably many other individuals getting screened over the phone, even the smallest of mistakes can get your name scratched off the candidate list.

Just because you can chat for hours with your friends or families on the phone, make successful sales calls, or lead awesome phone meetings does not mean you'll automatically ace an interview.

Brush up your phone interview etiquette with these 11 do's and don'ts that you might not know.

2

 Set Yourself Up for Success

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 What does that mean? Well, for one, you probably shouldn't take the call in your pajamas in bed. A few days before the call, prepare for the interview in the same way you would ready yourself for an in-person meeting. Review the questions and answers you'll likely be asked.

When the day comes, get dressed in a way that will help you feel confident. Then, set up a quiet space where you can sit at a table and have your cover letter and resume in view.

Make sure you have a pen and paper, and most importantly, keep background noise to a minimum. You don't want your dogs, kids, spouse or parents yapping for your attention while you're on the phone. Arrange for privacy (or a babysitter) if need be.

Hint: Review these tips and techniques for phone interviews, so you're set to ace the interview.

3

 Don't Take the Call on Speaker Phone

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It's not a good idea to take the call on speaker phone. Though it might appear to help you take notes or be able to look at your resume, taking a call on speaker phone can make it difficult for your interviewer to hear you. Don't risk the chance of being misunderstood, or losing a key answer to static.

4

 Don't Multitask

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During your interview, don't be making (or drinking) coffee, have the TV on in the background,  eat lunch, have your Facebook feed open, et cetera. In fact, you shouldn't be browsing the Internet at all. While it can be helpful to have a browser open in case you need to look up a quick fact, ideally you should limit it to one window only and have your resume and cover letter printed out.

Hopefully, you've already done your research before the interview, so there should be no need to scramble for answers while you're on the phone.

5

 Don't Talk Too Much

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In a face-to-face interview, it's easy to read your interviewer's body language and pick up the cue for when you should stop talking. On a phone call, those signs aren't so clear, so it's easy to ramble on.

Whether or not your rambling is actually adding value to the conversation is irrelevant; at a certain point, your interviewer will stop paying attention, will perceive you as someone who lacks the bibility to listen well, and might get annoyed as you chop away time for other, more important questions and answers. Think of your answers like a great cocktail: you don't want it watered down. Keep it short and strong.

6

 Don't Take the Call in a Public Place

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Make time for your interview. Only agree to take the call during a time and date in which you can sit down and focus in a quiet space. Taking the call in a coffee shop or while on-the-go is not a good move.

If it's going to be difficult to take the call, consider rescheduling for a time that's better. Here's what to do when you need to reschedule a job  interview.

7

 Do Make Sure Your Connection is Working Properly

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 Don't risk interrupting the rapport of your interview with a faulty connection. If you have a landline in your home, generally it should provide a clearer connection than a cell phone. If you are using a cell phone, make sure the service in your location is consistent. And finally, if you're making the call through the Internet, do a test run with someone before your call.

Hint: Silence the devices that you aren't using to take the call. For example, if you're on the landline, put your cell phone on mute. If you're using your cell phone, turn off your computer volume.

8

 Don't Wait to Call In

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Do call in two minutes before the scheduled interview time, and don't wait till last minute to get set up. If you're calling your interviewer, and not the other way around, start dialing a minute or so before your scheduled appointment so your call comes in right on time.

However, give yourself ample time for set up. Ideally, about 30 minutes before your call, you should be sure you have the right contact information, check your cover letter and resume is handy, and review both your application materials and the company's website to ensure the information is fresh in your mind.

9

 Do Speak Up if You Can't Hear

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Don't be afraid to tell your interviewer you can't hear him or her. Speaking up is better than spending the whole interview missing questions. Don't take the fall out from a bad connection. If you can't hear your interviewer well, let them know politely. All you need to say is, "I am sorry, I missed that. I think the connection is poor."

10

 Do Take Notes

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While you shouldn't be scribbling away during your interview, if at any time you discuss takeaways (send a portfolio, connect on LinkedIn) points that you think you should have on hand during a later point, or questions that come up, be sure you write them down so they don't end up slipping your mind.

11

 Do Get the Interviewer's Email Address

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Do ask for an email address if you don't already have it, and follow up immediately. Although you will likely have your interviewer's contact information, make sure it is a personal address and not an "info@" or "HR@" address. Sending a personal thank you note will ensure it  is seen by the right person.

12

 Do Realize That There Will Likely Be Next Steps

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Do realize that there will likely be next steps. In most cases, a phone interview is only a first step. Sometimes, candidates will even be screened two or three times on the phone before being asked to come into the office.

On one hand, this is good news in that you have multiple opportunities to prove your candidacy. On the other hand - it also means that there will likely be many others vying for the job, so it's important to do your very best each time you interview in order to make it to the next round.

Don't think that just because you've been invited for a phone interview that you have the job in the bag. In many cases it is only a gateway to other interviews.

Hint: Check out these tips for how to get invited for a second interview.

What to Do Next: How to Follow Up After a Job Interview

Resource: thebalance