Telephone interviews

Since 1999 I have got the bulk of my work on the back of a Telephone interview. Sometimes these have been followed by a face to face interview, but generally the decision was taken on the basis of the phone interview.

You will normally know the date and time of the interview in advance. You need to pick a quiet place where you will not be disturbed or over heard. Events may make this place unusable so be flexible: the most unusual place I took a phone interview was the toilet in Pizza Hut. It's a long story, destined for my autobiography. By the way the interview was in German for a post in Switzerland and lasted an hour. When I came out I NEEDED a pizza. When I had the face to face interview they decided, I was told, that they wanted a younger person. Well at least they paid all expenses

24 hours before the interview: Check out the company website and the job description. Make a list of questions.

MAKE SURE YOUR CELL PHONE IS CHARGED

2 hours before the interview Do the above again. If taking the interview from home make sure children and pets are not going to be in the way.

1 hour before the interview. Deliberately relax.

30 minutes before the interview: Use the toilet

15 minutes before the interview. Make tea. Put pen, paper, Tea and a bottle of water in the interview location.

5 minutes before: Use the toilet. Again. Better safe than sorry.

3 minutes before: Position yourself ready for interview. Take a drink.

Make sure background noise is minimal. Phone microphones are very good at picking up background noise. Sounds of a toilet flushing or a cigarette being lit may well harm your case.

You have only your voice and words to sell yourself. This is why you took a drink before you started: It will lubricate your throat.

If you have a cold or sore throat mention that to the interviewer(s). If you have any problem that may mean you have to pause the interview, such as an upset stomach, mention it.

Your posture influences your voice, so do not lie down. You may seem more energetic if you move around.

If it is a panel interview keep all the interviewers in mind not just the one to whom you are speaking.

Make your voice sound lively.

If the interviewer is not a native English speaker talk clearly and avoid slang and idioms. Being in Edinburgh I follow the rule of speaking international English even when interviewed by an Englishman. Do not speak too slowly or loudly or as fast as usual (IT. IS. RUDE) .

Listen to the interviewer. The question may have another question behind it.

Try to build up a rapport with the interviewers. Jokes are not a good idea but an anecdote from experience that illuminates a point and makes them laugh with you is good. If they don't laugh or at least seem to be smiling is this the right place for you?

Pay attention to the interviewer's tone and attitude. If this changes it could be good or bad.

Drop comments in that show you think the job would be interesting. You may also want to discuss their projects in more detail and relate them to your experience or interests.

Some employers use an interview as a way to pick your brains. Be aware of this. If you think they are doing this give them a high level answer to the question that will not help them then write them off your list. That type of employer you do not want. If you think they are doing that innocently still give a vague but authoritative answer like “Well In general..... but I would have to investigate the problem in much more detail”.

My experience has been that the interviewer introduces themselves and the rest of the panel if any.
They then go on to give a brief overview of the company and the project or projects they have in mind for me.

After that I may be invited to give details of a few previous projects. They have my CV but this lets them assess me further. I normally start with the most recent and work back. If a project or job is not immediately relevant to the job briefly outline the relevant soft skills you developed and how the role demonstrates flexibility and adaptability then quickly move on.

You may then get a number of questions from the panel. These may be intended to probe your areas of weakness or to see how you cope under pressure. DO NOT BULLSHIT if unsure. The acceptable answers are “I don't know for sure but I think.....” “ I don't know but I know where to find out” or “I don't know but I am going to investigate as soon as the interview is over”.

After all the panellists have exhausted their questions it is your turn. Your list of questions comes in handy here. You may well have added a couple during the interview. Safe questions are ones like “What might I expect in my first week?”. You know and they know it will be reading a manual ten times but it is good to ask. Asking about prospects could work either way. It could show you are ambitious or be a threat to the interviewer. If asked where you see yourself in ten years time point out that is too far away for detailed prediction then give a very high level goal: “Running vice for the Mafia” is not an acceptable answer and “Your Boss” is a guaranteed road to failure.

Make sure you ask when you are likely to hear their decision. If you have other interviews lined up or are awaiting feedback mention it but give the impression this is your favoured opportunity.

The interviewer normally signals the  end of the interview.  Thank them for their time. SMILE as you do this, and say you enjoyed the conversation.

DO NOT SAY ANYTHING TILL YOU KNOW THEY ARE OFF THE LINE