So, you’ve revised your resume, sent it out to potential employers and have a phone interview scheduled soon. Congratulations are in order, but not yet—at least not until you land a second interview. Of course, it took a lot of effort for an employer to notice your application and become interested in you as a potential employee, but your journey isn’t over yet.
As a crucial step in your job application, it’s vital to make the best first impression during your phone interview. This kind of interview may not require keeping up appearances or minding your body language, but your voice and how you answer will play a vital role in the fate of your application process.
If you feel like you deserve to advance to the next round of the application process and secure an in-person interview, you have to ace the call first! Read on below to find out how to sell yourself during a phone interview:
1. Prepare Well
The best thing about a phone interview is that the employer can’t see your face. Although a disadvantage at times, you can make the most of this opportunity to have a cheat sheet. This sheet should include critical terms from the application, a short script of what you want to say, and questions to ask the interviewer.
Regardless of the type of interview, you must always prepare a short elevator pitch, preferably 30 seconds long. The pitch should explain how you can contribute to the company and the kind of asset you would be. Since the interviewer wouldn’t be able to see you, you can include your elevator pitch in your cheat sheet to ensure that you can get across precisely what you want to say without making mistakes.
2. Set the Right Ambience
To have a successful interview, you need to eliminate as many distractions as you can. Remember that your interviewer will only be able to hear you and nothing else, so they can clearly understand what you have to say. Avoid noisy or loud areas and go somewhere quiet where you can entirely focus on your phone interview.
A phone interview may not require you to wear business attire, but it helps dress up a little. Clothes make the man—how you dress will affect how you speak with the interviewer. If you want to create a positive impression, make a bit more effort in your appearance!
3. Charge Your Phone
There’s no worse way to end an interview than with an empty phone battery or a malfunctioning device. In the days nearing your interview, you must make it a habit to charge your phone regularly, and you have a strong network signal. This way, nothing can interrupt your call, maintaining a good momentum throughout the interview.
Conclusion
Job interviews are nerve-wracking, whether through the phone or in person. You can’t help but make mistakes, especially if you haven’t gone to many interviews yet. However, this doesn’t mean that you’re bound to fail! As long as you follow our tips, the interviewer is sure to realise your potential as an employee and ask you to take the next step in your application process!
Have you been looking to get an HR job with no experience but are having trouble? Then, you’ve come to the right place! At Start In Recruitment, we specialise in finding and placing sales and customer service professionals into their first recruitment role. Register your CV today to get started!