Career Information Online

When a company contacts you to schedule a telephone interview be sure to ask the following questions:

• What kind of conversation will this be – a general screen or a technical screen?
• Who will be involved in this conversation?  What is his/her title and role in the company?
• How long do you expect this conversation to last?
• Who will be initiating the call?  Verify the telephone number to be used.

Remember that in a telephone interview it will be only your voice that can communicate who you are.  You can’t rely on body language or facial expressions to express yourself.  Try to speak in a manner that is relaxed, confident and enthusiastic.  Your goal for this conversation is to generate enough interest in the party on the other end of the phone to invite you to the company to meet with them in person.

Some items you might want to have with you during this conversation include:

• A copy of the resume you sent to the company.
• A note pad and pen.
• General questions you want to ask about the company and the position.
• Information about the company (and if possible, be at a computer with their web site on the screen).
• A calendar with your availability for a face-to-face meeting for the next few weeks.

Have a statement about yourself prepared to answer the question “tell me a little about yourself”.  Keep it brief and have it coincide with your education and work history.

You might think some of the suggestions we are about to make sound silly, but you would be surprised how many people mess up on their telephone screen because they have forgotten to pay attention to the basics.  The only tools you have available to sell yourself in the telephone interview are your voice and the words you use.  Here are a few suggestions to help you have a good phone “personality” that conveys confidence and enthusiasm:

• Talk directly into the mouthpiece.
• If possible, stand up during the conversation and move around to help keep your energy high.  Don’t have this conversation while in a hunched over, slouched or laying down position.
• Mirror the speech patterns of the person conducting the interview.  If he/she is speaking slowly then slow down, if he/she is speaking quickly then pick up your pace a bit.  By matching their cadence the conversation will flow more smoothly.
• Be conversational.  This isn’t an inquisition, it’s a conversation.
• Be upbeat and positive.
• Listen carefully – don’t lose your mental focus.
• No matter what is asked or stated during the conversation, always answer in a professional manner.  Never become argumentative or defensive.

What the representative of the company needs to bring away from this conversation is that you can get the job done.  Your goal is to share enough information about you and your background to get him/her to want to bring you into their office for an interview.

End the conversation on a positive note.  Tell the person that you enjoyed your conversation.  Ask him/her what the next step in the process will be and when you can expect to hear from them again.  And finally, if you are interested in the position and moving forward in the process communicate this to the company representative.  Make sure to emphasize this is the type of opportunity you are looking for. 

Companies receive lots of responses to jobs they post, be it online or in the newspaper.  It is usually the in-house recruiter or human resources department that is responsible for determining what candidates the hiring managers should meet with during the interview process.  Often the way they accomplish this goal is through the use of a telephone interview.

A telephone interview (also known as a telephone screen) is a brief conversation between you and a representative of the company to determine if there is enough interest in your background and skill set to bring you in for a formal interview.  A telephone interview will usually fall into one of two categories.  It can be an initial screen or it can be a technical screen.

An initial screen is exactly what it sounds like.  You’ll spend a few minutes on the phone with a recruiter or human resources representative who will ask you basic questions about your background, skills, work experience, education, and salary requirements.  This person most likely will not get in-depth into your skill set.  He/she wants to determine if you meet the basic requirements of the position.

A technical screen is a more complex conversation.  You will most likely be speaking with the actual hiring manager or a person in the department that is expert in the skills required to perform the job that is advertised.  You’ll be quizzed on your specific knowledge of a software program, process, procedure, etc.  You still may have to answer basic background questions, but you’ll need to be prepared to answer tough technical questions as well.

If you receive a call from a company asking to set up a telephone interview, ask them what kind of conversation you should be prepared to have.  You might also want to ask how long the conversation will last to allow you to schedule enough time to have a good conversation without being worried about time constraints.  You want to be able to concentrate on the conversation you are having and not nervously looking at your watch hoping the conversation will be over by the end of your lunch hour.