Tips for Having a Great Phone Interview

It is increasingly common for people to have to go through a phone interview in order to get a job that interests them. Sometimes this is done because you have applied for a job in a location that you plan to move to soon. Other times it is done because you have applied for a remote collaboration or telecommute position. No matter what the reason, your ability to get the job is going to depend on your ability to have a great phone interview.

Here are some of the tips that you should follow in order to make sure that your phone interview goes well.

• Make sure that you understand the technology that you're using to have the call. It is increasingly common to have phone interviews over the computer using VoIP systems. Alternatively, you may use a landline or cell phone that involves audio conferencing on either end of the call. If you're using any sort of new technology to complete the phone interview, you need to make sure that you've gotten familiar with it prior to the time of the interview. You don't want to lose a job because you didn't know how to take the call.
• Schedule the interview for a time when you will be able to get free from other activities. You do not want to be distracted during the phone interview. If you are a work from home parent, make sure the phone interview is at a time when the kids will be at school, asleep or with a babysitter. Minimize all distractions so that you can focus entirely on the phone interview when it takes place. Make sure that you will be in a place where your cell phone gets good reception if that's the phone you're using for the call.
• Dress for success. Most people don't get dressed up for a phone interview since the person on the other end of the line isn't going to see you anyway. However, being professionally dressed can actually go a long way towards enhancing your confidence. It's that confidence that is going to get conveyed through the call and which is going to land you the job.
• Speak clearly, loudly and slowly. Of course, you don't want to go overboard in exaggerating the way that you talk. You do want to sound natural. But be aware of any problems that you normally have on the phone such as talking too quickly, mumbling or interrupting the other party. Do your best to reduce these problems by paying attention to how you're speaking during the phone interview.
• Have all materials that you need for an interview in a place where you can access them easily. Think about the items that you would typically take to an interview with you. These might include your resume, your portfolio or a list of your professional achievements. Have these in front of you during the phone interview so that you can refer to them.
• Create a list of questions that you have for the person that is interviewing you. Make sure you have them printed out and near the phone or in a place on your computer that you can easily get to. You want to be able to sound intelligent during the call and that means asking the right questions.
• Make sure that you have a pen and paper - or your computer's notepad function - right by the phone. The person who is interviewing you might give you important information and you don't want to appear incompetent by asking them to hold on while you find a pen.

Completing a phone interview is going to require the same basic steps and skills that would be required by a face-to-face interview. You want to project yourself as a professional, confident, qualified candidate for the job. Do all that you can to convey that image to the person on the other end of the phone and you should be fine. After the call is complete, follow up with an email reiterating what was said during the interview and thanking the person for contacting you.