Prepare for an Interview Phone Screen
Posted by at 1st February, 2010
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You have work diligently to source suitable hidden and advertised positions. Your potential employers are impressed with your credentials and decided to short-list you with several other applicants. Since there are too many short-listed candidates, these potential employers will use phone screens to decide which applicants to interview. Below are some career guide tips you can use to successfully pass the phone screen.
Prepare Common Traditional and Behavioral Interview Responses
After finalizing your job search plan, resume, and cover letter; you should prepare responses to common interview questions. Popular traditional questions include “Could you tell me about yourself?” or “Why did you leave your previous company?” Also develop accomplishment stories for common behavioral questions using the STAR or SOAR format. STAR stands for situation, task, actions, and results. SOAR stands for situation, obstacles, actions, and results. This exercise will help you reduce the time spent preparing for upcoming phone screens and interviews according to your career guide.
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Store Job Requisitions in a Centralized Location
You must compile all of the job requisitions you applied for in a centralized location. You can store them on your computer hard drive or in a folder (if you printed them out). This action will help you quickly locate the appropriate job listings once you are contacted by potential employers.
Let Unknown Calls Go to Voicemail
Before you participate in a phone screen, you want to prepare in advance. Likewise, do not answer your phone when an unknown caller or potential employer calls. Let the calls go to voicemail and afterwards retrieve them. In almost (if not) all cases the company representative will ask you to call him or her back. Likewise, it’s vital that you have a professional voicemail greeting.
Prepare Customized Phone Screen Responses
Before you call the potential employer back, quickly customize your traditional and behavioral responses based on the job requisition. Make sure you complete this task within a few hours. Below are questions you should prepare responses for:
- Why did you leave your previous company?
- What have you been doing since your displacement?
- Could you tell me about yourself or walk me through your resume?
- Why our company?
- Why this industry?
- Why this position?
- What kind of experience do you have for this job or what are your qualifications?
- Why should I hire you OR what can you do for us that someone else cannot do?
Then for each of the desired competencies, create one or two accomplishment stories. Also create a response for the salary question. Afterwards read over your interview responses, make revisions, and place them in front of you.
Contact the Potential Employer
With your phone screen guide in front of you, call the potential employer back. Once you reach the company representative (or voicemail); introduce yourself, state the purpose of your call, and ask for a convenient time to schedule the phone screen. When you participate in this phone interview, stand while speaking and use your prepared responses as a guide to answer questions in a structured and concise manner. At the end of the phone screen ask a few questions about the position, the potential employer’s experience, the company, and next steps.
I recommend you listen to Kevin Kerme’s “How to Supercharge Your Job Search.” Visit www.blogtalkradio.com/thecareercatalyst to listen to the previous shows, sign up for a free BlogTalkRadio account, make these shows one of your favorites, set up reminders for upcoming episodes, and actively participate every Tuesday night.
How to Supercharge Your Job Search. | Download this episode (right click and save)
Tune in to Episode 31 “Networking for the Shy and Nervous Job Seeker,” Tuesday, February 2nd at 9PM EST with expert guest Tom Dezell.
Remember the knowledge of many is greater than the wisdom of a few. So get engaged in JobRadioUSA’s online career community and encourage others to do the same.
Bonus Lens, Hub, and Examiner Articles You Should Read (If You Have Not Done So)
- Examiner: Four ways to Uncover Hidden Jobs
- How to Successfully Conclude Your Job Search in 2010
- How to Supercharge Your Stalled Job Search
- How to Get a Job by Networking with Your Warm Contacts
- Tap into the Hidden Job Market via Cold Calls
- 6 Step Process to Ace Any Job Interview
- The Characteristics of a Dynamic Resume
- The Four Components of a Dynamic Cover Letter
- How to Prepare for an Upcoming, Potential Layoff
- How to Cope with a Difficult Job Search
These are great tips but do not forget that a phone interview is usually done if you are not able to visit the company in person. You are usually located in another state or country. Try to find out as much as you can about the city and local business etiquette before you do the interview. You will make a much better impression if you show some local knowledge. I like http://www.bizztripbriefing.com for this. They provide information for business trips and have just the background information you might need for your job interview.
Regards, Johan Burns.
Johan, thanks for sharing phone screen tips for interviews outside of your geographical area.