10 Phone Interview Tips To Qualify For The Second Round

You have already accomplished the first step, you’ve made a sharp and excellent resume, your cover letter was on point and finally, you have got the interview!

Go a few seconds back, it is not just an interview, it’s a phone interview. Here’s your second step, since it is not a traditional interview so how are you gonna bridge the gap between? How are you going to make it a successful one? You might have failed to win the opportunity in a face-to-face interview, and here you’re relying on a phone call to qualify you for the next step.

Everyone knows how difficult it is to know physical cues and facial expressions of the other person on the call, it is indeed intimidating because you are not able to see the reactions: are they smiling? Is there a poker face or a smiling face? Do they even like it when you’re being Chandler Bing during the interview? You can’t tell. Well, fret not because I have got 10 amazing and proven phone interview tips for you today.

So without any further catch, here are 10 phone interview tips to qualify you for the next round.

Tip #1: Always Choose a Quiet Place

It is very important to choose a quiet place because there might be a chance of communication barriers and as you know, the first impression goes a long way. You should prefer a quiet place where there are no distractions at all. Trust me, you don’t want anything that makes noise or draws your attention away from the interview. Put away the magazines, novel, pictures, even unfolded sheets and everything which will end up causing distraction. 

Kids are surprisingly unpredictable and can be very noisy so, do not ever plan to interview when kids are around even when they are sleeping. 

And yes, don’t forget to use headphones!

Tip #2: Write Down Your Talking Points

There is an amazing advantage of phone interviews since the other person can’t see what you are doing, you can easily have written notes and prepared answers to the common questions which can be asked in interviews. They are definitely gonna ask you basic phone interview questions like ‘tell me about your work history’, ‘what makes you a fitting candidate for this post?’ well, great news! You have already prepared the answers and this is one of the best phone interview tips which is surely going to lead you to the next round. 

Here are some common phone interview questions for you:

• Tell me about your work history.
• What makes you an ideal candidate for this position? 
• How can you make our company successful?
• How much salary do you expect?
• Where do you see yourself in 5/10 years?

Tip #3: DO NOT Forget to Record the Call

When you watch a movie 3 or 4 times, you always find out something new every time you watch like a foreshadowing or a tiny detail you’ve missed before but now it completely makes sense and gives you a whole brand new understanding of the movie, the same thing goes with a phone interview call. You may miss out on really important points during the call but when you listen to that call, again and again, you’ll find out key points for the second round.

Here I’d like to recommend you the best call recording app Mimik, which is helps you easily record unlimited incoming and outgoing calls within seconds. It is always a good idea to record phone interview calls so make sure you checkout the free trial to explore all recording features.

Tip #4: State Your Full Name After Saying ‘Hello’

Be prepared at this step, always say ‘Hello’ and state your full name when they call you but let them make the first move.

Don’t act like you were not prepared, you should seem like you were really expecting this call and if you make it sound like a question like “Hello, is this Max?” that would be a bad practice.

Tip #5: Do Not Interrupt

You need to pay attention to the pauses in conversation on a phone interview. Make sure that the interviewer is done talking, give more time than usual.

Speaking on a phone call usually confuses the sound and leads to “I beg your pardon?” or “Sorry, what did you say?” so, before starting what you have to say, give the interviewer a little more time to make the conversation go smoother and better. 

Tip #6: Prepare Your Salary Requirement

At this part, everyone should have a range in mind already and should say it out by keeping it simple like ‘I’m expecting in between $50,000 to $55,000. 

Don’t try to be very rigid or very flexible with your salary compensation. If an employer is offering you a decent salary with tons of other benefits then it’s a good offer that you should be accepting.

Tip #7: Be Prepared Properly

Get prepared before the call, you should know the basic questions which are going to be asked by the interviewer, find out the company’s basic information and be prepared for anything. Prepare yourself to qualify for the next round, boost up your confidence and have pertinent information at your fingertips.

It would be a plus point if you have a copy of your resume with you, the company’s basic information and job description.

Tip #8: Watch Your Body Language

I know you are probably thinking why are we talking about body language when you can talk sitting on a chair or while walking, well, I’d still advise you to watch your body language. Sit as if you are actually in an office in front of the interviewer, straighten your back and chip up and don’t forget to smile.

You can also talk standing up, this way you can have deeper breaths and clearer voice and surely help you calm your nerves and convey confidence in your voice. 

Body language directly impacts your overall tone and way of speaking so make sure you are keeping everything in proportion.

Tip #9: Dress for Success

It doesn’t matter if it’s a phone interview, you can’t be in your sweatshirt and sweatpants.

Well, yes the other person can not see you but still, your clothing plays a very significant role here. You should be in that one dress that boosts up your confidence, style up in a way that makes you feel like a professional so that you can get those positive vibes and stay optimistic and focused.

.

Tip #10: Ask Questions About the Interviewer

In the end, don’t forget to ask questions back. Show your interest, make the interviewer understand that you are interested.

Sometimes the interviewer does interviews all day long, sometimes the person is a freshie and probably asking questions from Google. So show you’re interested in the potential job, start a conversation in a very polite way, ask him/her about a challenging day or a ‘what does a successful personality look like to you?’ and here you will open a wider conversation.

Start Now!

If you will keep procrastinating or think too much, you will end up getting nothing in hand. Change only happens when you take action. Therefore, I strongly recommend you to understand and remember tip #1 and #2 as these two are foundational concepts and then start planning your first to-do task from now if not today or tomorrow.

To simplify, pick out any one of the remaining 3 explained productivity techniques so that you can avoid all distractions and can get better results in less time by working smarter.