Phone interviews are increasingly being used by recruiters and time pressed employers as a way of distinguishing between candidates without the need for a time consuming face to face interview.
There are a number of things you can do to improve your chances of getting to that face to face interview.
Silence is golden
Make sure that when conducting the phone interview you have peace and quiet. You will not be at your best if the dog is barking and the kids are screaming. It’s distracting for you, irritating to the interviewer and unlikely to get you through to the next round.
Land line not mobile
A clear land line is preferable to a poor signal from a mobile. No one wants to get cut off halfway through an interview.
Print out your CV and the Job Description
And have them in front of you before you start. The key words and phrases that will get you through are contained in the Job Description. Your task is to match those requirements with the skills and experience contained within your CV. Clearly communicate the benefits you can bring to the job and how the successes you have achieved can be brought to this role. If you haven’t held the job title before but have the skills and experience required for the position, you will need to clearly communicate those with examples from your CV.
Is the Interviewer qualified?
Is this someone just ticking the boxes on the sheet in front of them or is this the hiring authority? The way you structure your answers may change depending on who the person is you are talking to. Becoming too technical may go straight over their head.
Establish what the next step is in the process
Where do you go from here? What is the next step and within what time frame?
Once again state your fit for the job and how much you are interested in the role.