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How to Have A Successful Phone Interview
Presented by Career ServicesThe Washington Center for Internships and
Academic Seminars
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The 3 Stages of a Phone Interview
1. Pre Phone Interview
2. Phone Interview
3. Post Phone Interview
Pre Phone Interview
Preparing for the Conversation
The most important person to research…
YOUWhat skills do you want to use in your career?
What experiences have honed these desired
skills?
Is this position an opportunity for you to use and improve the
skills you want?
What experiences do you need to further develop these skills?
How do I look online? Google yourself Check out Reppler as a tool for managing your online reputation Downplay the negative
Keep social network profiles clean or private
Emphasize the positive – is your LinkedIn profile the first result? Make your LinkedIn profile interesting
Get recommendations (hint: recommending others = good karma) Post articles Join groups
Custom LinkedIn URL
Pre Phone Interview: The Research Hierarchy
Bureau of Labor Statistics Career Guide to Industries:
http://www.bls.gov/oco/cg/home.htm Occupational Outlook Quarterly: http://www.bls.gov/ooh
Vault.com Hoovers.com – check if your school pays for this
service
Pre Phone Interview: Knowing the Industry
Company website Avoid wasting time asking questions that can be answered on the website About Us Section Mission Statement Management Team Bios Recent Press Releases LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc.
AnnualReports.com More than financial information Company successes Areas for improvement Strategic plan
Interviewer(s) Google them, they are Googling you anyway! LinkedIn (again) Facebook (again)
Pre Phone Interview: Knowing the Company
Read the job description carefully Look at each responsibility and note any experiences that
prepare you Watch for skills explicitly included and write out specific
experiences where you demonstrate those skills Know which responsibilities you are not prepared for or
don’t understand Opportunity to ask interviewer for clarification
Pre Phone Interview: Knowing the Job Function
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YOUR VOICEMAIL Greeting Example: “Hi, you have reached Jason. I’m unavailable to come to the phone right
now. Please leave your name, phone number and a message and I will get back to you. Thanks!”
Check your voicemail everyday and return all messages within 24 hours! Watch for the following area codes for the DC and surrounding areas (202, 703, 301) An employer may call and want to interview you on the spot. If they call and it is not a good
time for you have a long conversation or interview, don’t answer the phone and let it go to voicemail.
YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS Make sure your address is professional
Good email addresses: [email protected], [email protected] Not so good email addresses: [email protected], [email protected]
Return all emails within 24 hours. Follow directions. Do they want you to call or email them back? Keep it professional
HOUSE PHONE Make sure you are receiving the messages.
Pre Phone Interview:Getting Set Up
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Pre Phone Interview:Other Helpful Tips
Keep your resume in clear view so that it is at your fingertips when you need to reflect back to it.
Have a pen and paper handy for note taking.
Clear the room! (evict the kids and pets, turn off the stereo and the TV, close the door)
Charge your cell phone.
Phone Interview
Showcasing Your Best Self
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Important Reminder
Make sure that you note the Eastern Standard United States Time Zone for
your interview! For example, 9AM in Washington D.C.
is 6AM in Los Angeles, California.
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Phone Interview:Setting UpSTAND OR SIT UPRIGHT WHEN ON THE PHONE This allows your voice to project and sound more confident. Wake up plenty of time before the interview.
SPEAK CLEARLY When people get nervous they talk fast and mumble. This makes communication even more difficult over the phone.
FEEL FREE TO USE NOTES, BUT DON’T READ FROM A SCRIPT Bullet items that you want to mention in your interview. Have your questions ready.
SMILE AND BE ENTHUSIASTIC When you smile, the interviewer can actually feel it.
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The Most Common Interview Question Tell me about yourself.
School Year in school (graduation date if you are
graduating) Major(s) and minor(s) I am interested in…industry, type of work, etc. I am drawn to this position with your
organization because… I would benefit your team with these skills and
experiences…
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Explaining why you want to work for them… Why did you decide to apply for this position?
Answer this question before they ask when telling them about yourself!
This requires self-reflection – what do you want? What sort of work do you want to do? Be as specific as you can – e.g., you can “help people”
in many ways, but why this way in particular? This involves company research – what are they
looking for? Know the company’s purpose Know the job description
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Common questions
What would a coworker say it is like to work with you?
What is your ideal work environment? What is your greatest strength? What is your biggest weakness? What were the responsibilities of your last
position? Where would you like to be in your career five
years from now? How do you handle stress?
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Answering the “biggest weakness” question Note an area of improvement that is not essential to the job
(check the job description!)…
…but is also a genuine weakness that you are working to improve on
Always end on a positive note
“Being organized wasn’t my strongest point, but I implemented a time management system that really helped my organizational skills.”
“Sometimes, I get caught up in my daily tasks, that I forget the big picture. I have been working on this in my weekly status meetings with my manager by discussing with her how my tasks fit within the departmental and company goals.”
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Telling Stories Identify key attributes for success in the
role and prepare 2-3 stories for each personal attribute Teamwork Communication Organizational Critical/analytical thinking Self-starter/Innovative Willingness to learn Willingness to travel Experiences related to the position
How to tell a story
USE THE STAR APPROACH
Source: http://www.careerservices.wayne.edu/resources/behavioralinterviewinfo.pdf
STAR ExampleQUESTION: Describe a situation when you had to change your plans without
warning
Situation: One time at Company XYZ, a project deadline got moved up 2 weeks. This project required a lot of time and research, but…
Task: I needed to send results to my supervisor by the following morning.
Action: I immediately put on hold some other projects that could wait and began working on this project. I had good rapport with other staff members and they offered their help. I delegated some research tasks, allowing me to focus on the tasks I had already begun working on. I also stayed after work for a few hours to get the project done.
Result: The project was turned in early and my supervisor was able to use the project to get an important client who generated an extra $40,000 of revenue for our organization. I was very grateful for the support from my fellow coworkers and made sure to thank everyone. We all work together well and I am always willing to help others if they are in a jam, and my supervisor was very pleased with the results.
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Other Tips
You will be talking about yourself, but maintain a focus on what YOU are going to do for THEM.
When discussing negative experiences, emphasize how you made the best of the outcome.
Vary your examples; don't take them all from just one area of your life.
Use recent examples (high school may be too long ago).
Don’t interrupt the interviewer. Take your time – it’s perfectly okay to take a few
moments to collect your thoughts.
Turning the Tables:What to Ask Interviewers
Prepare 3-5 questions beforehand Examples:
Please tell me about what you are looking for in this position?
What are the day to day responsibilities of this internship?
What is the work atmosphere like in this internship? I noticed on your website that you work with [topic], I’m
very interested in this subject, would I be exposed to this?
Could you tell me about your supervision/managerial style?
What is the timeline for filling this internship position? What is your employee turnover rate?
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Phone Interview:Wrapping Up
Ask about next steps in the process
Thank them for their time
Restate your interest! Examples
“I am very interested in this position and I hope you will keep me in consideration.”
“Thank you very much for taking the time to interview me today. I’m very interested and I hope to hear from you soon.”
Post Phone Interview
Making a Lasting Impression
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Post Phone Interview:Thank YouTHANK YOU EMAIL You should follow the interview with a thank you email within 24 hours.
EXAMPLE:Mr. or Ms. Jones:
Thank you again for the opportunity to interview for the internship position at ABC Company. I appreciated your questions and enjoyed our conversation about (subject A, B, C, and D).
The interview convinced me of how compatible my background, interest, and skills are with you the goals of ABC Company. I am very interested and hope to hear from you in the near future. If you have any questions feel free to contact me at (123) 123-1234. Thank you again for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Tim Smith
Send separate personalized notes to each interviewer with specific references to conversation
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Post Phone Interview:Reflection
Do you feel more or less excited
about working for this employer?
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Post Phone Interview:The Offer To accept or not to accept? Communicate with The Washington Center!
Example acceptance of job offer email. Carbon Copy your contact at The Washington Center.
Dear Mr. Smith:
It is with great appreciation that I thank you for the internship offer. I gladly accept the offer and appreciate the opportunity to (your preferred expression here). I will commence at this position on (start date). I look forward to being part of your team and am confident that I will be able to make a positive contribution to the (company/organization) goals. Thank you once again for this opportunity.
Sincerely,
Your Name
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Post Phone Interview:Rejecting an Offer Call first before following up with email Example rejection of job offer email. Carbon Copy your contact at The
Washington Center.
Dear Mr. Smith:
Thank you very much for your telephone call and letter offering me the [position name] position with [company]. While I believe firmly in the mission of your organization and appreciate the challenging opportunity you offer, I have had another offer which I believe more closely aligns with my current career goals and interests. Therefore, although it was a difficult decision, as I explained when we spoke by phone this morning, I must decline your offer.
I do appreciate all the courtesy and hospitality extended to me by your office, and I wish you the best in your endeavors.
Sincerely,
Your Name
