This http://www.WorkTree.com career article gives you some common sense advice and tips on handling all important telephone interview.=================================== TELEPHONE INTERVIEW BACKGROUND =================================== Telephone interviews are quite common in today’s job market. They are offered for a variety of reasons including cost savings, screening of candidates and out-of-town applicants. To successfully navigate phone interview, it is important to have a solid game plan in place for preparation.
The following 8 quick tips will help prepare yourself for a successful call.
=============================================== 8 QUICK TELEPHONE INTERVIEW PREPARATION TIPS ===============================================
1. DO SOME RESEARCH Try to find out who will be interviewing you. Will there be multiple people on call? If possible get their names and titles. Become familiar with these before call and you will have one less thing to worry about during call. Try and get some background on interviewer. Any insight you can gain about him/her will allow you to better tailor your responses to make best possible impression.
2. ORGANIZE YOUR THOUGHTS Make a list of your accomplishments, goals and strengths. On another list write out your weaknesses and what you are doing to overcome them. On a third sheet write down why you are interested in company. Think carefully about all of these items as they often come up in interviews.
3. PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE Never forget that a telephone interview is still an interview. Take time to practice interview questions with friends or family. Ask them to provide honest feedback so you can improve your responses. Mock interview questions can easily be found on internet or bookstore. If you get stuck on a question, sample answers to these questions are often provided as well.
4. DO A SOUND CHECK During mock interview, have your friend ask you questions both over phone and in person. Make sure that he/she listens not only for content, but also tone, rate and clarity of your speech. If possible, record yourself speaking. Are you speaking slowly and clearly? Can you easily be heard? Is your voice portraying you as a confident and enthusiastic candidate? If not continue to practice until you are comfortable.