How to successfully get through a telephone interview

Many recruiters do their first interview over the phone. The telephone interview is a tool for the recruiter to assess whether you are a serious applicant and decide whether or not to take you further through the application process. The questions are more likely to focus more on your general competences and skills. Your aim is to try to show your enthusiasm and commitment in a short conversation.

TIPS TO SUCCEED IN THE TELEPHONIC INTERVIEWS

1.Research and plan your telephone interview

Be prepared. It's normal to be nervous before a telephone interview, but it will really help if you know you've done the groundwork. Make sure you find out as much as you can about the recruiter. Read the job description carefully and think about how you match the selection criteria.

Write down any questions you might like to ask, as well as planning answers to those questions you think are likely to come up – especially questions such as ‘Tell me about yourself’ and ‘What interests you in the job?’.

2.Do not Switch Off Your Mobile Phone

The candidates should keep their mobile phone always ON because the phone call can ring anytime. The battery of mobile phone should be fully charged. In case of meeting or other official appointments, the phone may be placed in vibration or silent mode rather than switched-off. It leaves very bad impression on employer if the phone of candidate is in switched-off mode or giving message that the number is out of service.

3.Control your environment:

• Attend Call at a quiet room. Select a quiet, private room with a cell phone in good working condition. Make sure that you do not receive other phone calls if you know the time of telephonic interview.

• Keep important documents ready. Keep yourself free at least at the time of interview and make sure that that there is no background noises to disturb and hinder the interview process.  You should be having the copy of your Resume (Professional Profile/CV) that was sent to the company. It will give you the information which information you have sent to the company. You should have a Pen and Paper to note the points. 

4.Avoid Rescheduling of the interview. If you want to change the interview time due to busy schedule, don’t reschedule the interview again and again. It will give bad impression of non-seriousness to the interviewers. Try to reschedule the interview only once if unavoidable. You should not reschedule the interview because of not being prepared. Try to have all the certificates and testimonials with you so that you are ready to give any information on demand.

5.Respond Quickly.In telephonic interview, the candidate should respond to questions within 1 minute. In case you are thinking for the answers, the first response should be delivered within 10 seconds otherwise simply say sorry. Candidates should avoid lengthy responses because the interviewer expects short answers on phone rather than long stories.

6.Avoid single word answers like 'yes','No','Ya'. The response delivered by the candidate should be well explained so that it is understood by the interviewer. The candidate should keep the voice clear, conversant and non confusing.

7.Justify yourself. The candidate should be well prepared to justify his/her performance in last few years. It will leave a very good impression on the employer regarding your current status and performance evaluation. Moreover, there is an impression of being confident to the interviewer. The candidate should be able to describe the goals and objectives, should not give more attention to salary and promotion.

8.Deliver true and honest information.One of the important points the candidate should remember is not to give any manipulated or false information while answering the Tell Me about Yourself Interview question. Now days, the organizations are taking help of detective agencies to keep track of candidates’ personal and professional background. Such checks have become very important and strict today. The employer may dismiss the person even after years of working, on the basis of some false information provided during the initial phase of interview.

9.Do not do multitasking. resist the urge to reply to e-mails, check your Facebook page,taking other calls or responding to texts, make your lunch, wash up, etc - focus only on the person at the other end of the line. 

10.Listen Carefully. Then only you can understand the question properly .Do not dominate the conversation by interrupting so much, since it can irritate the interviewer.Let the interviewer guide the conversation.

11.Organize your answers Clearly.It clearly gives the impression that you are a good communicator and a good thinker under pressure.

12.Have a glass of water nearby just in case your mouth goes dry mid call, but don't eat or drink proper while taking part in a telephone interview.

13.Here are some commonly asked telephone interview questions and explanations.

• Tell me about yourself: This question is an ice-breaker and is asked to open up the communication. However, it also offers you the opportunity to prove that you are the best choice for the position under discussion. In your phone interview, answer this question by providing some information about your relevant work experience and any specific qualities you possess or projects you may have done which can add value to the job under discussion. You can also talk about your educational background if it adds some value to the job you are being interviewed for.It is extremely important to be enthusiastic during a phone interview. The interviewer is not able to see your body language or facial expressions but they can definitely feel the enthusiasm and smile in your voice.

• why did you apply for this job? This question should be answered by relating the requirements of the job with your work experience, personal qualities and education background. Keep the answer focused on the requirements of the job rather than talking about how the job can help your career grow and earn more.

• Why do you want to leave your current job? There can be enormous reasons for you to leave the job but keep the focus of your answer on the potential of the new job to offer you more responsibilities and challenges & hence an opportunity to grow as a professional and improve as a person.

14.     DO NOT use unprofessional language ,Sound courteous and polite. Thank the                interviewer for giving you the opportunity.

Most importantly keep your tone pleasant as most interviewers are experienced and can easily judge the comfort level of the candidate, so it is important to smile and stay relaxed. Give your best during the telephonic interview as it will pave the way for further interactions

                                                                      GOOD LUCK!!!