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Phone Interview Tips

Phone interviews can be tough. With the lack of visual communication, you must be able to rely on auditory feedback and be disciplined enough to keep focus. We have compiled this handy guide on phone interview preparation to help ease your fears.

With these interviewing tips, you will be able to face your phone call with confidence!

Phone Interview Preparation and Tips

Preparation

There are two main types of phone interviews - expected and unexpected. In order to be prepared for the unexpected phone call, make sure you have access to proper materials near your phone or desk. Keep a file of “employer research” near by along with a fresh copy of your resume. (Wouldn’t it be great if you could just open up your resume as a web page?) Your resume will allow you to easily answer questions about your past experiences. Company research can help you quickly come up with a few questions for your interviewer. Having access to a notepad and a pen is probably a good bet as well.

For expected interviews, make sure you have a space set aside that is free of distractions. Keep a glass of water nearby in case you need to clear your throat, and of course, make sure to use the restroom before the call. Have a copy of your resume and any research you have done on the employer. Keep a pen and paper on hand.

Remember, phone interviews are just as much of an interview as a traditional meeting. Take a look at our interview guide to help make sure you are properly prepared.

Tips

Know your comfort zone. Some people perform best in a quiet room, while others prefer to pace around. If sitting still is your style, a room free of distractions is best. If you are the type of person that likes to walk-and-talk, consider determining a predefined route. This will help ensure that there are no outside noises or unexpected distractions like sirens. Make sure it is a leisurely walk so you can maintain calm breathing patterns.

Smile. Negativity or a uneasy attitude can easily show itself over a phone call. Before the interview, consider spending a few minutes listening to your favorite song or watching a funny video on YouTube. Make sure you are in a good mood.

Disable call waiting. If for some reason you are not able to disable call waiting, absolutely ignore it if someone calls.

Enforce a dress code. Believe it or not, properly dressing in at least a business casual attire will make a big difference in your ability to focus on the interview. Wearing the right clothes and taking a serious approach to the call will help you maintain a professional attitude regardless of your surroundings.

If you are taking the call on a cell phone, make sure there is no wind in your vicinity. Wind noise will prevent you from hearing the questions and make it harder for them to hear your answers.

No chewing gum, cigarettes, food or other things that may interfere with your vocal chords during the interview.

Listen. Without the visual communication of an in-person interview, it can be tough to know when to stop talking. If your nerves are high and your blood is flowing, you can easily make the mistake of saying too much. Make sure to speak slowly and articulately. When you have answered the question, allow for that possibly uncomfortable moment of silence. This will let the interviewer know that you are through, and then they will proceed. Listen and wait for them to finish with their next question, and then proceed. Consider taking notes on the key aspects of each question.

Stand up. Stretching out your torso will allow you to have the full strength of your lungs. You will be able to speak more clearly and powerfully.

Practice makes perfect. As with all interviews, practicing before hand helps you prepare for common interview questions. Remember to “play in practice as you will in the game.” It will make a huge difference.

If you wear earrings, remove them before the call. Many people tend to adjust the phone’s headset during a call. Chances are that the earrings will rub up against the mic creating an awkward, distracting noise for everyone on the call.

No speaker phone.

Make sure to ask for your interviewers name. Follow up with a thank you note.

The Art Of The Online Résumé

Michael Shilleh, a 24-year-old recruiter with New York employment search firm Mergis Group, sifts through thousands of online résumés, mostly from applicants for financial-services jobs. Those who profess experience in key areas such as fixed-income derivatives are most likely to pass through his electronic filter. If only he had known a year ago what he knows now. “For a while I was struggling to find a job online,” the Lehigh University graduate says. Not until he inserted more appropriate buzzwords into his Web-based résumé—such as “communication skills” and “results-driven”—did he start getting nibbles from potential employers.

Knowing how to assemble a résumé effectively for online consumption is a skill you’ll need for just about any job search these days. Taleo Research, which studies management practices, found that 94% of the top 500 U.S. corporations solicit online résumés so their human resources departments can use software to whittle down a huge stack of candidates quickly to a manageable list of finalists.

An online curriculum vitae is a different document than the paper version. “The purpose is not to look like an individual, it’s to look like a match,” says Pat Kendall, a career coach in Tigard, Ore., who optimizes clients’ résumés for online submission.

Looking like a match in the eyes of a filter, says Kendall, means speaking the language of job-specific keywords. Most electronic résumés are automatically dumped if they don’t have a certain number of keywords that correspond with skills related to the position. The filter for a head sales position might require “cold calling” and “Microsoft Office.”

Finding the right keywords is as easy as flipping through help-wanted ads. When several employers use the same words to describe similar positions, you would be wise to incorporate them into your CV. Kendall tells her clients to include around 25 keywords that are contextually relevant to their work history, without sounding stilted or forced. Writing that you are a “task-oriented achiever who micromanaged top performers while driving a 10% sales increase,” for example, is not going to impress a discerning HR pro.

Job site Monster.com (MNST ) contains some 70 million résumés that are routinely mined by employers. Empowered by résumé-savvy search engines, recruiters narrow down the vast field by rooting out keyword matches. Whereas five years ago a majority of the site’s postings were from “active job seekers,” says Eric Winegardner, Monster’s director of product adoption, many today are what he calls “poised seekers,” meaning they are “happy where they are, but eager to entertain an offer.”

Some specialized résumé posting sites may put job seekers in a better position to court the most appropriate recruiters. For example, 6figurejobs.com screens applicants to make sure they earn at least $100,000.

There’s one more online résumé every job seeker should create: a personal statement that’s posted on your own Web site and outlines your broader career goals. By linking it to a Monster.com profile and your MySpace or LinkedIn page and filling it with Google (GOOG )-optimized keywords, you might attract employers that value your individuality along with your work skills.

Recruiters’ Top 10 Complaints

Caitlin McLaughlin, global head of campus recruiting for Citigroup Markets and Banking (C), will sometimes surprise MBA students by starting off an interview with a question that has little to do with their experience in the business world or as a student at their particular school.

She’ll glance at the interests and activities section of their résumés and ask questions on subjects students expect recruiters to gloss over.

“I’ll say, ‘I noticed on your résumé that you are a Jimmy Buffet fanatic,’ and it will be clear that the person forgot it was on there,” she said. “You can see the look of panic spread across their face because they forgot.”
Little Mistakes, Big Impact

Little slipups like this are the types of things that recruiters say can make the difference between making the right impression or the wrong one during a job interview (see BusinessWeek.com, 9/6/06, “The ‘Do Nots’ of Networking”).

One thing most recruiters agree on is that MBA students are coming to job interviews more prepared and polished than candidates in years past. They are coached by their career services offices, have studied meticulously the employers, and have boiled their work and academic career experiences down to a carefully crafted script.

Even with all this preparation, there are a number of missteps students can make that can quickly shift the tone of the interview in the wrong direction, recruiters from top companies say.

We asked recruiters for specific advice about navigating interviews and sidestepping common mistakes. Here’s what they told us:

1. Follow Interview Etiquette
Some of the most embarrassing moments are caused by blunders a student didn’t anticipate. A cell phone ringing in the middle of an interview can be an unwelcome interruption. Whatever you do, don’t stop to answer it or check the number, says Connie Thanasoulis, director of campus recruiting at Merrill Lynch (MER). Her advice: “Apologize, and immediately move on.”

Etiquette requires students to shake the recruiter’s hand before the interview starts and again at its conclusion. These are moments that could prove embarrassing if you have sweaty palms, a common byproduct of nerves and adrenaline. A simple way to solve the problem is to first brush your hand against your leg to dry it off, suggests Thanasoulis.

2. Keep Your Answers Short and to the Point
Recruiters will sometimes ask a question about a candidate’s résumé and the candidate will ramble on—and on—for several minutes before getting to the main point. This can be trying for the interviewer, who is trying to learn as much as possible about the student in a short time. It can put the interviewer in an uncomfortable position, says Peter Sullivan, director of North American People Services for Booz Allen Hamilton.

“It is very difficult when someone starts diving into detail. It can be perceived as impolite to cut someone off,” says Sullivan.

Try to keep your answers under a minute if possible. This gives the interviewer a chance to consider whether they want to ask the candidate to elaborate on the answer. “If the interviewer wants more details, they will ask for it,” Sullivan says.

3. It’s Okay to Be Clueless
Steve Canale, manager of recruiting and staffing services at General Electric (GE) likes to throw in questions that students might not have anticipated. For example, most students will talk at length with him about the company and why they want to work there, but will be thrown off when he asks them to name GE’s current slogan.

Most students don’t know this and will frequently stumble their way through the question. “Some people will look at the ceiling like God is going to come down and tell them, and other people will try to fake through it or get terribly embarrassed,” he said.

The question can be an interesting test for Canale, who evaluates candidates by the manner in which they answer the question. He says that being honest about not knowing the answer is sometimes the best tactic. “Don’t be afraid to say I don’t know,” says Canale. “I think that would be an area where everybody could improve.”

Sometimes a student does know the answer to a particular question, but may have trouble answering it on the spot, says Thanasoulis, of Merrill Lynch. Her suggestion for dealing with nerves: Take a sip of water and ask for a minute to think about the question. “Regroup and say, ‘I’m sorry about that,’” Thanasoulis says. “It’s okay to say, ‘Sometimes I get a little nervous, but I’m very excited to be here.’”

(By the way, GE’s slogan used to be “We Bring Good Things to Life,” but four years ago the company changed it to “Imagination at Work.”)

4. Avoid Clichés.
It can irk a recruiter when students spend their allotted time talking about themselves in broad generalizations or clichés. Avoid common phrases such as “I’m a people person” or “I’m a creative person.”

Instead, Booz Allen’s Sullivan recommends that you come up with pertinent examples or stories that clearly illustrate your point. One young woman he interviewed convinced him of her leadership skills by telling him about her volunteer efforts at a church in an inner-city neighborhood. She helped several teenagers at the church learn about financial aid and college preparatory exams, and two of the teens she coached went on to become students at Duke University. The story stuck in his mind and helped her stand out among the other students he had interviewed.

“I now have a story I can then attach directly to her. It was compelling and it was going to get her remembered,” Sullivan says.
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Job-Hunting? You Have 10 Minutes

If you’re hunting for a new job, you’ve only got 10 minutes to make your best impression, according to a survey released this month by Robert Half Finance and Accounting, one of the world’s best-known recruiting firms.

Hiring managers polled said it takes them just 10 minutes to form an opinion of job seekers, even though interviews can often last an hour or more. The survey was developed by Half, but was conducted by an independent research firm. The survey is based on responses from 150 senior executives with the nation’s 1,000 largest companies.

In the survey, hiring execs were asked:
# “How long does it typically take you to form either a positive or negative opinion of a job candidate during an initial interview?” (The mean response was 10 minutes).
# “How many minutes, on average, do you spend meeting with a staff-level candidate during a job interview?” (The mean response was 55 minutes.)
# “How many minutes, on average, do you spend meeting with a management-level candidate during a job interview?” (The mean response was 86 minutes.)

The Lesson is Simple, So Do Your Homework
The lesson is simple: “The interview begins the moment job seekers arrive, so applicants need to project enthusiasm and confidence from the start. “The opening minutes of the conversation often set the tone for the rest of the discussion, making it wise to prepare especially well for the first few interview questions.”" said Max Messmer, chairman and CEO of Robert Half International. Messmer is also the author of Job Hunting For Dummies (John Wiley & Sons).

Here is some valuable “job-hunting homework” from Messmer : The 5 most-frequently-asked questions in the first 10 minutes of an interview:

1. Can you tell me a little about yourself? — Concisely discuss your professional goals and interests as they relate to the job opportunity. Your answer should provide insight into why you are the right fit for the position and the company.
2. What do you know about our firm? — Research the business beforehand and be prepared to describe how your skill set and experience will help you contribute to its success.
3. Why do you want to work here? — Whether it’s the company’s values, history of success or reputation in the industry that attracted you, respond in a way that shows you understand the organization’s priorities and business objectives.
4. Why are you looking to leave your current position? — Keep your answer focused on the opportunity — for example, a chance to advance your career. Remain positive and avoid disparaging other employers.
5. What is your most significant professional accomplishment? — Cite an achievement that demonstrates your abilities and shows you value results.

How to best prepare for the job interview

We spend so much time and energy in our job searches. Getting a powerful resume together, networking, doing research on the Internet, identifying employers, getting names and addresses of hiring managers, writing cover letters, mailing resumes, doing follow up, and wondering why we get so few responses. And, when we do get a phone call, we start stressing over something we haven’t even thought about - the interview! What to wear, what time to leave, where to park, what to say if I live long enough to get into the interviewer’s office? There are so many worries before we even get a chance to shake hands, sit down, and try to look calm. Inside you feel like that stand-up comic yelling, “Somebody help me - I’m dying up here!”

There is help, and even though you are still trying to finalize a resume, it’s not too early to begin preparing for what must happen before you get hired.

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There are a couple of great new books out there and I want to tell you about them. One I’ve already mentioned before, but I’ll do it again. I really like “Savvy Interviewing,” by John Van Devender and Gloria Van Devender-Graves, and published by Capital Books, Inc. The Van Devenders/Graves are a father and daughter team of HR experts who tell it like it really is in a no-holds-barred, behind-the-scenes fashion. In addition to practical tips on interviewing, this book includes examples of actual interviews, tips on how to prepare, the scoop on testing, and information on how to handle the “salary dance”, or what I call the “salary ping-pong game.”

You should also check out “The Career Coward’s Guide To Interviewing,” by Katy Piotrowski, M.Ed., and published by Jist Works, America’s Career Publisher. Piotrowski is a career counselor in private practice in Colorado, and the author of the weekly career advice column, “On The Job” in the Ft. Collins Coloradoan.

You have worked too hard on your job search to blow the most important step - the interview. Check out these two new books in your public library, quality book store, or contact the publishers directly. These books belong in your personal library.

Marvin Walberg is a job search coach and can be contacted at mwalberg(at)bellsouth.net, marvinwalberg.blogspot.com, or PO Box 43056, Birmingham, AL 35243.

4 steps to your dream job — now

The issue: An estimated 80 percent of companies use technology to help scan resumes and store the data future use. The key to success is using the right strategies to get noticed.

What you should do: In simple terms — your resume needs keywords! Electronic processing systems seek out resumes that contain specific keywords chosen by the recruiter.

Research job postings that are closely associated with or nearly a perfect fit for your experience. Read as many job descriptions as you can find and start writing down words that you see over and over again. Then, incorporate these words into your resume and cover letter.

The issue: The most successful job seekers know that the best jobs are not always just about salary, according to CareerBuilder.com. Be sure the company’s values and benefits are in line with your needs.

What you should do: In the interview, ask specific questions about: Benefits — What kind of benefits are really important to you? Family-related factors — Do they have day care, what is their family leave time procedure? Location — Is there access to public transportation? How long will it take getting to and from work? Vacation — How much you are getting? Can you actually use it? What happens if you don’t use it all in a given year?

The issue: The key to many jobs is acing the interview once you get it.

What you should do: According to Careerbuilder and a University of Alabama study there are three key elements to a good interview (aside from your answers). Firm handshake (both for men and women), ask intelligent questions about the company (to show that you care) and not answering a question (sometimes it’s not the answer that counts, it’s just showing that you can come up with an answer, even be inventive).

The issue: Many people get help for job searches online. However, you have to be wise about how you do it and avoid scams.

What you should do: According to Consumer Reports, avoid putting sensitive personal information (social security number, phone number, address) on resumes you post publically. Don’t agree online to a background check, wait until a face-to-face interview where you can give written consent. Don’t pay upfront for job placement — and know that most legitimate job placement services charge the employer, not the seeker.

Pros and cons of working from home by Vishal P. Rao and featured on Lifehack.org

There are many reasons for setting up office at home. One might need to be with the children or maybe saving office rent is a requirement. Just like there are innumerable reasons for working from home similarly there are many pros and cons that one must consider when setting up shop in the house.

When you are working in a formal set-up, all the advantages of working from home seem to come to our minds. And many people often get attracted by the whole idea of being ones own boss. And there is no doubt about the fact that there are many rewards of working from home.

* More time with children - One of the main advantages of working from home is that one gets to spend much more time with the children. Monitoring their progress and providing them with the guidance that they may need for their development becomes easier.
* Reduction in travel time - Another major advantage is that travel time is saved. Millions of people waste hours traveling to-and-fro from work. In fact commercial cities have unbearable traffic during the office hours that are aptly called the ‘rush hours’.
* Savings in wardrobe - Not having to maintain a formal wardrobe is another aspect of working from home that is advantageous. There is no need to get into a suit or other such formal wear while working from home. One can just work in comfortable casual clothing and that might actually increase productivity.
* Savings in office rent – If you have a separate office of your own and do not work for another company, working from home can mean a huge saving in office rent.
* Savings in taxes – Taxes can be saved by ensuring a thorough filing of expenses that one incurs.
* Some fixed expenses can be shared - Incidental expenses are lowered since they are shared by the home as well as the office. Telephone, stationary and other such overhead expenses are shared between the house as well as the office thus cutting cost if it is a personal business.
* Flexibility – There is a lot of flexibility that comes with working from home. You can decide your own timings and can accommodate other tasks that need to be accomplished.

But life is not all rosy when working from home. On the flip side of the coin the disadvantages of working from home are aplenty too.

* Slips into slackness - Since there is no pressure to start work at a certain time or dress a certain way it is very easy to delay the start of work. Productivity can seriously decrease under such circumstances if great self discipline is not maintained.
* Pressing personal chores – Personal chores can mount and get extremely difficult to avoid when one is at home. The tasks can be overwhelming and one could fall prey to it. Tasks that would otherwise take only fifteen minutes can end up taking up a lot more time.
* Lack of competitive spirit - A major disadvantage of working from home is lack of human interaction. Colleagues and peers help in keeping the competitive spirit alive and enhance productivity. Going to office is a great way to get away from the stress at home and vice versa but if office is at home then there might be no escaping the stress.

With virtual offices being set up across the world working from home is no longer a thing of the past. Following a few simple tips and maintaining a high discipline can overshadow the cons and let you reap the fruits of the benefits.

Vishal P. Rao runs the Work at Home Forum, an online community of those who work from home.

Older job hunter’s advantage? Experience

The job market is changing. Many older individuals stay in the workplace past traditional retirement age, and others return to work after they officially retire. This shift in the work force is great news for both businesses and mature job seekers, especially since older workers are some of the most qualified candidates in the market. So why is it difficult for many experienced adults to land new jobs?

It may sound simple, but it’s all about presentation. Many professionals miss out on great opportunities because they don’t effectively present themselves to potential employers.

Regardless of your age and level of experience, as a job hunter, your goal is to prove that you are the perfect candidate for the position. This means showcasing your strengths and attributes, and demonstrating the value that you will bring to a company. How will you increase productivity? What will you do to improve the bottom line?

It’s true that there is something appealing, and financially affordable, about hiring a young professional. Frequently, they can be groomed for success, which is worthwhile for growing companies. But younger individuals don’t have your expertise or maturity, and most of them can’t deliver immediate results in a new job. Use these facts to your advantage.

In order to compete with the full range of job seekers, you’ll need to understand your own attributes and present them in a way that captures the attention of an employer. Here are some basic tips to help you stand out from other candidates:
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Hip E-mail Addresses Bad for Resumes

Finding that perfect snarky, witty, oh-so-cool nickname to attach to your e-mail address, the one that fits you like your fave jeans, can be a creative coup. But alas, job-seeking, the hip moniker might be a career killer.

A new study finds that electronic resumes linked to job candidates with quirky and “unprofessional” e-mail names are rated lower by potential employers than those with professional names.

“People want to be creative, but that urge to be creative can be a hindrance if you’re looking for jobs,” said study author Kevin Tamanini, a doctoral candidate in industrial and organizational psychology at Ohio University.

Cyber highway

As is the trend throughout information commerce, millions of job applications that once traveled in hard copy through snail mail now get sent via the Internet. An estimated 90 percent of Fortune 500 companies have career-focused web pages and accept applications online.

With the increasing use of online screening, an applicant’s e-mail address could influence whether a resume gets tossed into the cyber-trash or makes it to human resources, Tamanini found.

Studies have shown that gender, race, physical attractiveness and religion can impact evaluations of potential employees, said Tamanini. As a result, some applicants who possess the necessary abilities and applications are not being considered for jobs, he explained. E-mail addresses are another source of information that can turn subjective, he said.

“A person has no control over gender, race or physical attractiveness, but can determine an e-mail name,” Tamanini said.
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10 flagrant grammar mistakes that make your resume and you look stupid

These days, we tend to communicate via the keyboard as much as we do verbally. Often, we’re in a hurry, quickly dashing off emails with typos, grammatical shortcuts (I’m being kind here), and that breezy, e.e. cummings, no-caps look. It’s expected. It’s no big deal. But other times, we try to invest a little care, avoiding mistakes so that there’s no confusion about what we’re saying and so that we look professional and reasonably bright.

In general, we can slip up in a verbal conversation and get away with it. A colleague may be thinking, “Did she just say ‘irregardless’?”, but the words flow on, and our worst transgressions are carried away and with luck, forgotten.

That’s not the case with written communications. When we commit a grammatical crime in emails, discussion posts, reports, memos, and other professional documents, there’s no going back. We’ve just officially gone on record as being careless or clueless. And here’s the worst thing. It’s not necessary to be an editor or a language whiz or a spelling bee triathlete to spot such mistakes. They have a way of doing a little wiggle dance on the screen and then reaching out to grab the reader by the throat.

So here we are in the era of Word’s red-underline “wrong spelling, dumb ass” feature and Outlook’s Always Check Spelling Before Sending option, and still the mistakes proliferate. Catching typos is easy (although not everyone does it). It’s the other stuff — correctly spelled but incorrectly wielded — that sneaks through and makes us look stupid. Here’s a quick review of some of the big ones.

#1: Loose for lose
No: I always loose the product key.

Yes: I always lose the product key.

#2: It’s for its (or god forbid, its’)
No: Download the HTA, along with it’s readme file.

Yes: Download the HTA, along with its readme file.

No: The laptop is overheating and its making that funny noise again.

Yes: The laptop is overheating and it’s making that funny noise again.

#3: They’re for their for there
No: The managers are in they’re weekly planning meeting.

Yes: The managers are in their weekly planning meeting.

No: The techs have to check there cell phones at the door, and their not happy about it.

Yes: The techs have to check their cell phones at the door, and they’re not happy about it.

#4: i.e. for e.g.
No: Use an anti-spyware program (i.e., Ad-Aware).

Yes: Use an anti-spyware program (e.g., Ad-Aware).

Note: The term i.e. means “that is”; e.g. means “for example”. And a comma follows both of them.

#5: Effect for affect
No: The outage shouldn’t effect any users during work hours.

Yes: The outage shouldn’t affect any users during work hours.

Yes: The outage shouldn’t have any effect on users.

Yes: We will effect several changes during the downtime.

Note: Impact is not a verb. Purists, at least, beg you to use affect instead:

No: The outage shouldn’t impact any users during work hours.

Yes: The outage shouldn’t affect any users during work hours.

Yes: The outage should have no impact on users during work hours.

#6: You’re for your
No: Remember to defrag you’re machine on a regular basis.

Yes: Remember to defrag your machine on a regular basis.

No: Your right about the changes.

Yes: You’re right about the changes.

#7: Different than for different from
No: This setup is different than the one at the main office.

Yes: This setup is different from the one at the main office.

Yes: This setup is better than the one at the main office.

#8 Lay for lie
No: I got dizzy and had to lay down.

Yes: I got dizzy and had to lie down.

Yes: Just lay those books over there.

#9: Then for than
No: The accounting department had more problems then we did.

Yes: The accounting department had more problems than we did.

Note: Here’s a sub-peeve. When a sentence construction begins with If, you don’t need a then. Then is implicit, so it’s superfluous and wordy:

No: If you can’t get Windows to boot, then you’ll need to call Ted.

Yes: If you can’t get Windows to boot, you’ll need to call Ted.

#10: Could of, would of for could have, would have
No: I could of installed that app by mistake.

Yes: I could have installed that app by mistake.

No: I would of sent you a meeting notice, but you were out of town.

Yes: I would have sent you a meeting notice, but you were out of town.