Tips for Stress-Free Telephone Interviews


by Will Parquette - Date: 2006-12-09 - Word Count: 607 Share This!

Whether in sales or employment-seeking situations, interviews can be stressful! Many companies have added telephone interviewing to their hiring regimens as a means of getting additional opinions of a potential candidate without incurring the expense of travel. In addition, many preliminary sales processes are started on the telephone. Whether you're selling a product or service or seeking new employment, here are a few ideas you can use to help prepare yourself for the telephone interview and make the most of the opportunity:

No place like home!- Be home on your regular land-line phone. Use a speakerphone if you have one, and be sure to let the other person know as a courtesy that you are using a speakerphone. Ask politely if they can hear you easily. Cell phones are risky what with background noises and the possibility of losing the call due to shifting signals. Above all- you are on your home turf, in your own comfort zone. This gives you an advantage compared to on-site interviews. Take full advantage of it!

Be prepared! Have your resume and any copies of any other documentation you have sent to the company handy. It only makes sense that you and the interviewers are both "on the same page" and that you have all the details at your fingertips. This will aid you tremendously if the interviewer questions any of your resume information. Think of this as an "open book" test. It is reassuring to have this back-up if the interview becomes stressful.

Do your homework! Hopefully, you have spent time researching the company you will be interviewing with. Just to be sure, have the company's website up on your computer during the interview and do some browsing on their site just before the interview starts so you will have some pertinent information fresh in your mind. The more details about the company that you are able to speak of, the better. This shows that you cared enough to prepare properly, and that you are truly interested in a position with this company..

Be comfortable! Have a comfortable seat at your desk or table, and have a glass of water ready in case you need it. Remove any possible sources of noise or distraction prior to the interview. Sit quietly for a few minutes before the call comes in. Breathe slowly and relax! You are home- you are in your own best element- you are truly ready to present yourself!

Smile, smile, smile! Your facial expressions do transmit over phone lines- especially to people like HR managers who spend a lot of time on the phone and develop very keen perception skills. What is the best way to make sure you're smiling as you speak? Set up a mirror in front of you and watch your expressions as you speak.

Take note! Take notes and ask questions. Keep all of this in some form of journal with date, time, person contacted and telephone numbers. This is especially important if you have applied for many positions, and in case you get called for additional interviews. You may need to quote the person you are interviewing with.

Positive, positive, positive! Avoid any and all negative words during your conversation. Think of putting a positive "spin" on all of your previous work experiences, good and bad. For example, at your last job you didn't have a difficult boss- you had a boss who challenged his employees to aspire to high standards and enabled them to learn and grow in their positions. Today's business world wants positive, team-player contributors- not people who constantly complain and cast negative shadows in the workplace. Always combine an idea or solution along with any criticism.


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