Phone Interviews

marsland

marsland

Active member
Hey guys, I have a phone interview in a few hours with a potential employee. I graduated from school in May and have no idea what will be talked about or how to keep this conversation going. It is a freight or logistics company that I would have to relocate for if I were to accept a position. I am nervous because I have never had a formal interview before; I was hooked up with part time jobs and then worked for the my dad for the last 3 years so I'm not sure what to talk about.

Basically, if you have any advice about what to say and what not to say during this it would be greatly appreciated.
 
I have had two phone interviews.

For the first one, the guy never called me and wouldnt answer his phone. I have decided thats the worse a phone interview could go.

For the second one I had no idea what the company does or why they were interested in me. Must have gotten my resume from my college.

Most awkard 60 minutes of my life.

I had no idea what the questions were about or what some of the words even meant. At the end she asked if I had any questions, so I tried to make small talk about the weather. The lady paused and goes, WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? and thats how it ended... so dont do that. I then learned this is the worse a phone interview can go.

My guess is to try to sound really into the job and really knowledgeable in the subject.

But Im not the one to take advice from on this subject
 
awwwbig boy job

anyways, my advise talk yourself up, a lot, BUT do it so that whatever you're saying will benefit them, they don't want to hear about how awesome you are if it won't work for them. So, that being said use examples relevant to the job you're applying for. Using what you've done/learned through your previous experiences/jobs explain what you did and how that will help you with what ever position you're applying for. Also try not to ramble and have some talking points written down so that you don't go blank.

Good Luck!
 
Well the way a normal interview goes (at least the ones I had up to this date) is something like this: The other guys usually ask you some questions about yourself (I guess they have your resume and cv, so they might ask about specific stuff on there) and there is the important part where you talk about what you would like to get out of the job. They might also ask you stuff about their company, so knowing a bit about the company in general never hurts. Also make sure you know what to answer to a question about your strenghts and weaknesses.

Just be confident, know something about the company, know what you want to achieve at that company (and ofc you should know if you really want the job even if you have to relocate!) and maybe think of some other questions that you want to ask.

At the end, they don't want you any harm, they want to employ you! You should be fine!
 
Hope they call you when you're awake. Got a call a month or so after I'd put in the application for a mountain I wanted to work in. couldn't have picked a worse time to call. Was in the middle of deep sleep after being up for days. It was like 8 something in the morning so it wasn't like they called me at 3am but still.

I def flopped that interview even though I was plenty qualified and very interested in the job.

Good luck.
 
get yourself in a professional state of mind and sit at a desk or be in a position that evokes a smart, with it attitude from you

smile when you talk, itll probably come through in your speech

try your best to read the guy and evaluate how much you should talk etc, it's a lot harder to read those things over the phone than in real life so listen very well and only say things that actually mean something...don't just talk
 
if you havent already google "job interview questions" and prepare answers for the typical job interview questions (what are you biggest strengths, weaknesses, etc) and think of examples of situations to back up your answers. it's so much easier to have thought this stuff through ahead of time instead of pausing and having to think about it during the interview

definitely do some research on the company, be prepared to suck up to them and tell them why they are appealing to you. i always like to think of a few questions to ask them so it shows interest on your part

for a first interview try not to ask a lot of questions about pay and get too specifics about benefits - once they've made an offer (or if they bring it up at a later interview) would be a more appropriate time to discuss.

I've had phone interviews be anything from a quick 10 minute HR screening to an in-depth 1 hour long detailed interview w/ hiring manager so be prepared for the long one. They'll generally lead the conversation. The biggest thing for me was preparing answers (and questions) ahead of time it really helps you get in the right mindset and makes you look like you're on top of shit
 
So I was just reading this thread for no reason and then BOOM! Got a phone call from somewhere I applied and they wanted to have a phone interview. Now I'm going to re-read everything.
 
RECORD IT. I was given a phone interview for my dream job a few years ago, dude straight up asked me how old I was during the interview. That would have set me up nicely for a discrimination suit, or at least blackmailing them into giving me the job.
 
Take a deep breath, sit somewhere quiet that doesn't have distractions (i.e. not at your computer and away from pens, paper, and other stuff).

Don't record it, don't take notes, focus yourself entirely on the conversation you're having. If it were an in-person interview, that's how it would be. If you are more visual, close your eyes and imagine a person in front of you and have the conversation with them. Talk with your hand(s), smile, make all the facial expressions you normally would; it will make you sound conversational rather than stiff.

Google interview questions and see what there is. Read up on the company. Nothing crazy, just background. What they do, how they do it. What kind of environment they promote. All that jazz.

Again...deep breath, relax, it's just a person on the other end.
 
I work for a rapidly growing software company. Recently I have been interviewing candidates for a few positions below myself. From what I see and do the top thing to do is just own up to whatever you have. If you have a degree in History and this is more business don't say "oh I should have gone for business but here I am now..." Everything has a bonus. Yes I went for English but that helps me effectively communicate even more effectively.

Basically only talk strengths. You are not trying to win the job today. You are trying to win the next interview.
 
Read anything you can about the company and the position, take notes and have them in front of you. They will most likely ask you what you know about them. If you can't give a decent answer for that, you will lose all credibility. They will ask you how you can contribute if you take the position. You need to be prepared to answer that. Have a few questions that you can ask the interviewer. There are a good suggestions above on how to prepare mentally. Having good notes in front of you will make you feel like you have your shit together. I owned my own recruiting firm for awhile and prepared tons of people for interviews. Good luck.
 
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