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Disclaimer
Legal No/ce The Essen/al Guide to Telephone Interview Success By Pam Wood Copyright 2012 by Interview Doctor. All Rights Reserved. While all aKempts have been made to verify informa/on provided in this publica/on, neither the Author nor the Publisher assumes any responsibility for errors, omissions, or contrary interpreta/on of the subject maKer herein. The sugges/ons outlined within this guide are given in good faith to assist you in accelera/ng your job search through the improved eec/veness of your interview prepara/on and performance. Neither the Author nor the Publisher assumes any responsibility, nancial or otherwise for the way you interpret or use this informa/on and no guarantee is oered on the content herein. In no event will TelephoneInterview.net Interview Doctor, or Waterfall Crea/ve Ltd., or its related partnerships, corpora/ons, Limited Companies or other en//es, or the partners, agents or employees thereof be liable to you or anyone else for any decision made or ac/on taken in reliance on the informa/on in this book or for any consequen/al, special or similar damages, even if advised of the possibility of such damages. Permission to reproduce or transmit in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, or by any informa/on storage and retrieval system, must be obtained from the author and Publisher Waterfall Crea/ve Ltd. Interview Doctor is a Registered Trademark. TelephoneInterview.net is a Trading Name of Waterfall Crea/ve Ltd.

2012 TelephoneInterview.net

Special Report Contents

Special Oer About this Report Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16
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Insider Tip #1: Think Like Your Interviewer! Insider Tip #2: Prepare in Detail in Advance! Insider Tip #3: Conrm Logis/cs Ahead of Time! Insider Tip #4: Make First Impressions Count! Insider Tip #5: Make Your Voice Work for You! Insider Tip #6: Give Context to Your Examples! Insider Tip #7: Ask Ques/ons at the End!

Bonus Insider Tip #8: Turn O Everything! Bonus Insider Tip #9: Send a Thank You! Special Oer Contact Us

2012 TelephoneInterview.net

 Telephone Interview Coming Up? Get The Job You Want Click to Learn How
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TelephoneInterview.net

About this report

This report has been wriKen to assist your prepara/on for a telephone screening interview. In recent years, with unemployment levels hovering near record highs, restructuring and redundancies being commonplace, and hundreds - some/mes even thousands - of applica/ons for a single role, companies have been turning increasingly to the telephone interview to screen out candidates. Theres good reason for it. While the ini/al screening is s/ll conducted at the applica/on level, by ltering through CVs, Resumes or Applica/on Forms (be they online or oine), the telephone interview provides an ecient second level ltering process. Speaking to 10 candidates by phone is far quicker and considerably less expensive than ying candidates into head oce. It leaves budget available to y in the nal four and enables more /me to be spend on the nal selec/on round, ul/mately, in theory, leading to a beKer hiring decision. Of course, dierent companies structure and execute their telephone interviews in very dierent ways. However, for the most part, there are large areas of commonality. While this brief /ps guide cannot go into every detail, it aKempts to tackle the major factors which will enable you to standout posi<vely and land an invita<on to the next round: The face-to-face interview. In these pages youll nd easy to read and easy to implement /ps which you can apply whether your interview is today or 4 weeks from now. In either case youll nd you can simply read and apply them. For more informa/on or for personalised coaching help to prepare for your telephone interview visit, hKp://telephoneinterview.net Here at TelephoneInterview.net we specialise exclusively in telephone interviews. For that reason we see a lot of candidates who are facing these tests of skill. They are looking to best prepare themselves and minimise their nervousness and feelings of uncertainty. This guide helps with that and will help you to maximise your chances of success. Good luck!

2012 TelephoneInterview.net

Insider Tip #1
Think Like Your Interviewer!
My number one <p is to put yourself in your interviewers shoes. Think, What do they want to hear? Too many candidates think only about themselves and forget that their telephone interview, like any interview, is structured, 2-way conversa/on. So, two key things to remember: COURTESY In an interview the balance of power tends to lie with the interviewer. They have the control of the ow and ul/mately the decision making power. So common courtesy and manners should go without saying. Give your interviewer /me to speak. Dont talk over them or interrupt. Listen intently in their ques/ons they will be telling you how to give the answer they want to hear! Be aware that some interview styles are designed purposely to put you under pressure to see if you approach changes or to judge your reac/ons when the heat is on! Realise what is happening and keep calm. Think what the interviewer is trying to nd out about you and reply in a measured way to show you listen, think clearly and can deal with the pressure. CONTEXT The other way you can help your interviewer to help you get the job is to provide clear context for your answers. No need to go into long rambling introduc/ons and back-stories, just make sure that you take the interviewer to the place where you begin. E.g. This example is from 2010, when I was working in London for Google. This simple introductory sentence gives a context and credibility to support the rest of your answer.

2012 TelephoneInterview.net

Insider Tip #2
Prepare in Detail in Advance!
Youve heard it before and its true: Failing to prepare is preparing to fail. The job market is so compe//ve these days for good jobs. The ques/on is how do you do it? Two answers: Prepare In Detail and Prepare in Advance. In this sec/on we look at how to prepare if you have /me or if you have just 2 hours DETAILED PREPARATION: If you have several days or weeks before your interview: Thoroughly research the company (Find out how at www.telephoneinterview.net ) Plan your answer to the ques/on: Tell me about yourself (3 mins maximum) Develop 2-3 clear reasons why you want this job and why at this company. Take /me to match your experience with the skills demanded in the job descrip/on. Plan how you will tell the story of your work history to demonstrate the skills they demand. Plan to explain what makes you unique vs the other candidates. For more detailed, step-by-step guidance on how to do this take a look at my ebook which you can download just a few minutes from www.telephoneinterview.net/ebook

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

FAST PREPARATION: If you have just 2 hours before your interview: You s/ll have /me to make a big dierence to your performance. Re-read your CV / Resume / Applica/on form at least twice. Re-read the job descrip/on that you are applying for. Make a list of the key strengths/skills you have which make you a good candidate. Link an example from your work history to each strength so you can give evidence. List 2 reasons why you want to work for this organsia/on. Spend 10 mins on their website / Google to nd out the latest news about them.

2012 TelephoneInterview.net

Insider Tip #3
Conrm Logis/cs Ahead of Time!
Arguably the worst thing you can do to create a nega/ve rst impression at a face-to-face interview is to show up late. Arriving on /me means planning your journey properly to be in the right place at the right /me. For a telephone interview you similarly have to take care of cri<cal logis<cs in advance. What are the key elements you need to know? What is the date of your call? What is the /me of your call? (Remember to check /me zones if your call is interna/onal) Who is making and who is receiving the call? What number should be dialed? What is the name of your interviewer? What is there posi/on / role in the selec/on process? How long is your call scheduled for? All of these details need to be conrmed well in advance. If you are lacking any of these elements the best thing to do is to contact your prospec/ve employer immediately. Be proac/ve and take ac/on to conrm by phone or email. Use a Landline for your Telephone Interview On the day of your call, be ready at least 30 mins in advance of your call /me. Make sure you are using a landline and not a mobile. This is not a call where you can aord to be dropping calls. Book a quiet room or nd a quiet room at home where you will not be disturbed. 2012 TelephoneInterview.net 8

Insider Tip #4
Make First Impressions Count!
Just like an in person or so called face-to-face mee/ng or interview, rst impressions are vitally important. And as the clich goes, you never get a second chance to make it. Of course this is true! Heres how to create a good opening atmosphere to your call and set the right tone for your interview: Make sure you are ready and wai<ng for the call. Have your prepara/on notes ready and in place. Have a glass of water within arms reach in case your mouth feels dry or you start to cough. When the phone rings try to answer it in 3-4 rings it shows you are ready. Introduce yourself in a posi/ve tone, Hello, this is Pam, is that Mark calling? Exchange pleasantries. Make sure you have correctly noted the interviewers name you will want to use it during the interview as well as to follow up with a thank you note axerwards. You can expect your interviewer to ask you to conrm this is s/ll a convenient /me. Of course you reply that it is and express how pleased you are to be speaking with them about the posi/on. This is also a good /me to conrm how long the interview is scheduled for. With these simple steps completed in the rst few moments of the interview, youll have made a strong and professional rst impression and youll have given yourself that all important momentum to keep going condently throughout the interview. The key is now to keep focused and listen carefully. Answer the ques/ons you are asked and not the ques<ons you want to hear!

2012 TelephoneInterview.net

Insider Tip #5
Make sure your voice works for you!
In a face-to-face interview you would use your body language and facial expressions as well as your words to communicate your story. Telephone interviews are dicult because they remove many key elements of personal expression. With this in mind, eec<ve candidates adjust their speaking style slightly to give themselves the advantage over other interviewees. Remember these /ps during your interview and you can be sure you are using your voice most eec/vely Most importantly speak slowly and clearly and make sure you have enough volume in your voice. You must be heard. If your interviewer is struggling to hear you it wastes all your prepara/on. Remember its a structured, 2-way conversa/on. That means, let your interviewer speak too! Keep your answers under 3 mins in length. Far beKer to keep your answer to the point and then ask Does that fully answer your ques/on? Vary voice tone and volume during your answers. When you are recoun/ng examples add life and feeling to the situa/ons. You need to make your answers interes/ng as well as informa/ve. If you can help your interviewer to enjoy the call, it helps! Perhaps the most important /ps is to SMILE DOWN THE PHONE! Many of my clients tell me the put a smiley Post-It note on the desk in front of them. This simple reminder keeps you sounding lively. Just do this! It really works. Try it and nd out!

Smiling down the phone keeps you sounding lively and enthusias/c. It helps with nerves too!

2012 TelephoneInterview.net

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Insider Tip #6
Give Context to Your Examples!
While you are familiar with your experience and your CV, your interviewer is not. He or she may be interviewing as many as 8 candidates as well as you and may well be feeling /red, stressed, overwhelmed or even bored! Your job is to make your answers interes<ng enough and lively enough to keep their a[en<on so they are alert to how good and how relevant your experience is. They may arrive at your interview from any number of other mee/ngs or other interviews. They could be distracted. What you need to do is to grab their a[en<on with the start of your answers. Here are two ways you can achieve that: 1. Give clear context to your answers. Rather than just rushing into your example of a /me you lead a team, learn how you can sell yourself and make your answer more aKen/on grabbing. Explain where you were working and when it was. Say what else was happening at the /me. Dont get distracted, but simply say something like, One example of that would have been while I was with IBM in Hong Kong in 1997 when China resumed sovereignty. It was a hugely exciLng Lme, it felt like everything was changing and it meant that my leadership role was more important than ever. Now youve grabbed their aKen/on! Next you can launch into your answer on how you showed leadership. Another route to give context and gain aKen/on is to start your answer with a ques/on: I was working in the telecoms sector at the Lme. Have you ever worked in telecoms? By star/ng like this you show condence and check your interviewers level of experience in the topic so you can judge what level of detail will be appropriate for your answer. The whole point here is to make it easy for your interviewer to hear your good answers! 2012 TelephoneInterview.net 11

2.

Insider Tip #7
Ask Ques/ons at the end!
By the end of your interview, its quite possible that you may have one or more spontaneous ques<ons which have arisen due to the conversa/on topics earlier in the interview. In which case ask these ques/ons. However, in case you dont have any spontaneous ques/ons springing to mind, and to avoid a blank gap at the end of the interview, I recommend preparing 2 or 3 ques<ons that you can select from at the end of your telephone interview. You can have these typed out on a page in front of you to remind yourself of the detail before you speak. Well chosen, clearly asked ques/ons will give the impression that you care enough to have thought and planned in advance, and they can also create an opportunity for you take control of the conversa/on. Depending on the type of telephone interview you are in, you may or may not have had chance to do this earlier in the interview. Good areas for ques<ons at the end of your telephone interview include: 1) 2) 3) Clarica/on of next steps in the selec/on process. A chance to check if the interviewer has found sucient detail in your answers. If you feel that maybe one of your answers failed to do full jus/ce to your experience, this can be a /me to oer a further example. Ask for your interviewers email address and job /tle so you can send a quick thank you note. Also be sure you have a record of the correct spelling of their name before you leave the call.

NB: Before you ask ques/on axer ques/on, its a good idea to check how long your interviewer has available for the call. Show you are punctual and s/ck to the agreed /ming.

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 Bonus Insider Tip #8

Turn o everything else. Everything!
Everyone knows the sound of an email arriving. Everyone knows the sound of text message arriving. Everyone knows an iPhone ringtone your interviewer included. If your interviewer hears those noises down the phone line, or the tv or radio, or kids in the background they sense that you are distracted and that they may not have your full aKen/on. The reality may be that they have your full aKen/on but in interviews we are dealing with percep<ons. Percep/on is reality. If they think you are reading a text message, or sense you are distracted, it will count against you. Do them the courtesy and yourself the favour of turning everything o. Turn your mobile phone o. Turn your Facebook o (it wont kill you) Turn your TwiKer o Turn your email o Turn your TV o Turn your radio o Face away from windows so you can give 100% of your a[en<on to your interviewer and to your careful responses to the ques/ons. If you fail to do this you arent giving yourself the chance to truly shine. Turn everything o!

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 Bonus Insider Tip #9

Send a Thank You!
The biggest mistake you can make in your telephone interview is to fail to follow up. Imagine if you were the interviewer. You spend 30 mins or 1 hour on the phone with a candidate and then hear nothing. What would you think? Firstly, youd probably be surprised. And secondly youd probably think that the candidate is no longer interested! And thats exactly what they will think about you if you dont follow up. But heres the good news for you. Prac<cally NO-ONE does this! Its such a simple way for you to dieren/ate yourself. It doesnt need to be a huge leKer, no need to get all emo/onal, just keep it simple and professional. (See examples and nd out how to get your thank you note right at www.telephoneinterview.net/ebook ) So sending a thank you is not op<onal. So make sure at the end of your interview, you collect your interviewers email and the correct spelling of his or her name. It looks professional and gives you the chance to reiterate your #1 best strength. Its common courtesy just do it! You can set yourself apart from the many interviewees who wont get around to it. If you dont follow up theyll think you arent interested! Be /mely! If at all possible send that email within the next two hours of your interview. This is not an email to wait 3 days to send. The decisions will have been made by then!

BEWARE: Sending the thank you email or note is a posi/ve. Dont turn it into a nega<ve with careless execu/on. Check their name (eg. Dont address to a Claire if she spells her name Clare! Or John if hes Jon, Etc.) and check your spelling and grammar! 2012 TelephoneInterview.net

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 Telephone Interview Coming Up? Get The Job You Want Click to Learn How
Youll Discover What Telephone Interviewers Want to Hear Proven Prepara/on Strategies How to Ace Your Phone Performance Was 19.99 Now 7.99

hKp://telephoneinterview.net/ebook 2012

TelephoneInterview.net

15

Contact Us
Author & Telephone Interview Expert, Pam Wood

For more free advice

to support your telephone interview prepara/on visit www.telephoneinterview.net To buy my most popular ebook The Essen<al Guide to Telephone Interview Success at a special oer price go to www.telephoneinterview.net/ebook To book an introductory help session with one of our friendly expert telephone interview coaches visit

hKp://telephoneinterview.net/telephone-interview-help/ Call to book on 08000 699 331 (free call from UK landlines) or email: info@telephoneinterview.net
2012 TelephoneInterview.net 16