17 Phone Interview Tips and Hacks that Guarantee the Next Round

17 Phone Interview Tips and Hacks that Guarantee the Next Round So youre waiting for your next phone interview. Palms sweaty, right?Thats because a phone screening is no cakewalk.You cant see the persons face. You cant see their gestures.Maybe theyve stopped listening to you and started browsing through their computer.Has the connection broke off? Are you speaking slowly enough?Thats the stuff nightmares are made of. And yet*This* is where every job opportunity begins.Relax. While phone interviews are stressful for most candidates, for you theyre about to become easy as a pie. (Or way easier, at least.)This guide will show you:A list of the best phone interview tips and tricks to help you breeze into the next round every time.How to prepare for a phone interview to avoid stressful surprises.A handy phone interview cheat sheet of what to do during the interview.Everything you should do after a phone interview so the recruiters cant wait to meet you in person.Want to land more job interviews? Create the perfect resume in our builder:Pick a professi onal template.Get expert resume tips from recruiters.Edit and download your resume in minutes.Start getting more job offers. See 20+ resume templates and create your resume.Sample resume made with our builder See 20+ templates and create your resume hereOne of our users, Nikos, had this to say:[I used] a nice template I found on Zety. My resume is now one page long, not three. With the same stuff.Create your resume now1Tips for Before the Phone Interview: How to PrepareWell get to a full list of phone interview tips, but first, a quick phone interview checklist.Heres how to prepare for a phone interview:Understand whos calling you. Check their roleis it an external recruiter or the hiring manager?Read the job description again and research the company. Try to learn as much as possible about their values and the position on offer.Make sure the time of the call fits your schedule and create a comfortable environment.Prepare your salary requirements.Have your resume and LinkedIn profi le in clear view.Turn off call waiting to make sure you get no interrupting calls.Prepare questions to ask.And heres why its so important and how exactly to do it.Phone Interview Tip #1: Understand whos calling youWhat to expect in a phone interview? If its an external recruiter (which is more likely), youll probably face some general phone interview questions that test your overall fit.Youll find a handy list of possible phone interview questions here: Phone Screen Interview Questions You Should Expect ( How to Answer Them)If its the hiring manager or a member of the in-house HR team, get ready to answer more specific questions that test your knowledge about the company.Either way: the moment you get the interview request, make sure to write back ASAP. It will make you come across professional and organized.Phone Interview Tip #2: Do your homework!No matter who youll speak to, find out as much as possible about the job youre interviewing for.Double-check the requirements and respon sibilities in the job ad and make sure your expertise matches whats expected.Find out about the upcoming challenges and projects for your position.Research the company on LinkedIn to learn about their mission and values.Note down keywords related to skills and qualities theyre afterand then, touch upon them during the interview.Phone Interview Tip #3: Be ready for the call when it comesPlan on being somewhere quiet.Clear out all potential distractions. If youre interviewing at home, make sure everyone knows youll be busy.Keep a glass of water handy.If something goes wrong and youre not ready, answer the call and respectfully let the recruiter know youll call them back in few minutes.You know youll have to be in a place with background noise? Wear a headset of earphones with a microphone: this will cut most of the noise off.Phone Interview Tip #4: Be ready to talk $$$9 times out of 10 youll be asked about your salary requirements. Research the company on Glassdoor to see what is thei r pay range for similar positions. Ask yourself if that salary range is satisfactory. Never say youd be willing to earn less that you know you would.ButIf you dont get asked about your financial expectations, save the nitty-gritty dollar billz discussion for later.Find out more: How to Negotiate a Salary In an Interview Process to Earn Way More at the JobPhone Interview Tip #5: Keep your resume and LinkedIn profile at handYou cant see them, but hey, they cant see you either. SoWhy not take advantage of that?Have a copy of your resume printed out or opened on your tablet. It will take away some stress of forgetting your proudest professional moments you so want them to know about.Phone Interview Tip #6: No call waitingTurn that function off. Youll avoid awkward beeps in your ear in the middle of an important phone interview.Not to mention, you wont be risking accidentally switching between calls and leaving the interviewer hanging.Phone Interview Tip #7: Know what to ask at the endTh is is the single most important interview questionDo you have any questions for me?Every time the answer is a resounding yes. Get the best ideas here: Smart and Professional Questions to Ask Interviewers to Leave a Lasting Great ImpressionDone with the phone interview prep? Lets get to business. Time for some phone screening interview tips for during the interview itself.2Tips for During the Phone Interview: What to Expectand How to Nail ItPlot twistYoure on your own.I can teach you what to do when preparing for the job interview. Ill be there for you when its over. But I cant answer the questions for you. What I can tell you, thoughYoull be fine. This part is scary before it starts. But it doesnt have to be while it lasts. Just follow the phone interview etiquette and use the tricks below.Heres how to (do your best to) do well on a phone interview.Phone Interview Tip #8: Start with Hello and your full nameConversation starters are a pain. Uttering those first few words can be harde st. So have them prepared.Hello, Jane Doe.OrHello, this is Stewart Cole.Will do the trick.When they call you, they want you to sound like you were expecting it (because you were). That signals youre prepared. Its enough to make a great first impression.Phone Interview Tip #9: If its the first callback after reviewing your resume, get their contact details firstDont wait until the end of the phone screening. You might get too excited to ask. Or worse, the call might get interruptedYoull want to know their name when you call back. If theyre using a private number, youll want to know their number, as well, right?Phone Interview Tip #10: Dont start speaking until they finish their questionYou shouldnt dominate the conversation. At this point, its their role to ask, and yours to reply.So dress the part. Let them finish their questions before you launch those job-winning answers.Not sure what to say right off? Give yourself time.That awkward silence feel way more awkward to you than it do es to them. If you feel its becoming too long, communicate. Saying something along the lines of Excuse me, I need an extra second to answer is perfectly fine.Phone Interview Tip #11: SmileIm dead serious. Theyll pick up on your tone. Believe it or not, people can actually hear you smile.What interviewers want from the phone screening is energy and enthusiasm. When you smile, youll always convey that message.Phone Interview Tip #12: Speak slowly and keep a conversational toneSpeak so slowly that it almost feel unnatural to you. Why?This experiment proved that when were nervous, we perceive time as passing slower. This makes us believe were speaking too slowly and thus speak super fast to overcompensate.And, according to this research, we tend to get most nervous when we feel were being judged.It adds up pretty nicely, doesnt it?Phone interviews are stressful. Keep slowing yourself down if you dont want to sound like a robot. RememberAfter all, its a conversation. Try to be casual. Sp eak like someone they will enjoy speaking with once they hire you!Phone Interview Tip #13: Let them interruptRemember about the power dynamics in this conversation. They are in charge and want to feel this way. If they interrupt you, its for a good reason.Maybe you werent getting to what they expected you to? Perhaps your answer was missing the point?No matter how frustrating that might prove (after all, you really wanted them to know that bit), accept it. When they interrupt you, it means theyre not paying attention already.Phone Interview Tip #14: Take notesEverything you discuss during a phone interview will most likely be critical during the next round. Note down all of the most important points the interviewer touches upon. In particular:Details about your future responsibilities and challenges.Company values and mission.Upcoming plans for the team you want to join.Phone Interview Tip #15: Ask questions!Remember the phone screening tip #7? Again, I want to stress it so hard it causes mental fatigueWhen you get asked Do you have any questions for me? you need to ask some intelligible questions!I know, youll be so glad its almost over, youll barely be in the mood to speak further.But you have to.It will show that youre engaged, inquisitive, and that you really want to join *this* company, not any other company.Still havent prepared those questions? Heres the list again: Best Questions to Ask After the InterviewFinally, if you have no questions about the position or the company left to ask, ask some questions about the recruiter.Things like How long have you been working here? or How did you start your job here?It will lighten the mood, let you learn extra details about the company and, potentially, create a personal bond with the recruiter. That might just give you the edge when it comes to the hiring decision!Phone Interview Tip #16: Establish the next steps (and make them keep their word!)The final question you should always ask is about the next steps of the recruitment.When are the next round announcements to be made? Whats their deadline for the decision?Also, ask if you can provide any extra details to facilitate the recruitment. Hiring managers and recruiters will always appreciate your cooperation.Once you get the information about what comes next, note it down and act accordingly. No response after the established deadline? Time to follow up on your phone interview. More on that in a second.Expecting some in-person job interviews as well? Make sure you come out on top. See: 50+ Best Interview Tips that Work3What to Do After a Phone Interview? Tips for Phone InterviewFollow-UpPhone Interview Tip #17: Follow up with a thank you note the same dayHeres a cornerstone of the phone interview etiquette. After the phone interview, send a thank you note (that, by the way, is applicable not only to phone interviews).Youll find examples of thank you emails for different scenarios here: Post-Interview Thank You Email: Samples Instruction sFor follow-up strategies if you get no reply, see: Follow Up Email After a Phone or an In-Person InterviewIn a Nutshell: Tips for a Phone InterviewHeres your ultimate phone interview cheat sheet:Understand whos calling you, get their contact details, and check their LinkedIn profile.Research the company and reread the job description before the interview.Schedule the interview so that you can avoid any distractions.Prepare your salary requirements and questions to ask after the phone interview.Have your resume handy so you can have a look at it any time.Answer the interview phone call with Hello and your full name.Speak slowly, keep a conversational tone, and smile while you speak.Take notes.After the phone interview, ask smart questions.Dont forget to follow up with a thank you note later that day.Questions? Concerns? Doubts? Let me know in the comments, and Ill respond right away. Maybe we forgot some phone interview hints? Share your best preparing for a phone interview advice! Cant wait to hear your thoughts.