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Interview
Tips
Telephone
Interviews
Tricks
to ace that phone interview
First
of all, get your telephone number /contact number across clearly.
Mention the country code, area code and city code. This is a must
for MNC's and positions overseas.
If
you are giving a contact number, intimate the people who are likely
to receive the call. If the name by which you are known differs
from your official name (as mentioned in the CV) intimate this
to them to ensure you receive your call.
Telephone
interview could range between 30-90 minutes. It is better not
to list an office number, Public Call Office number that would
disturb your concentration and consequently affect your performance.
Avoid noisy places.
Make
sure the interview is conducted in your TIME ZONE. When you are
informed of a tele interview, confirm the date/day and time in
your time zone. Get to the phone 30 minutes ahead of scheduled
time. Cut all your friends short to ensure you have a clear line.
Take
note of the name, designation and phone number of the person who
is interviewing you. If the interview is more in the nature of
a teleconference, ascertain the name of at least one of the members
of the panel.
Practice
a 'self-introduction' in 1-2 minutes. Remember, this is also a
test of your presentation & communication skills.
If
the job is in America, familiarise yourself with American English.
Listen to audio/video cassettes specially designed for students
appearing for TOEFL. You could also listen to CNN news bulletins
or watch American movies. Do the same for any other country you
might be considering moving to.
Have
a copy of the CV mailed to the organisation before the interview.
If there is an update since the time of applying for a position,
appraise them during the course of the
interview, and fax/e-mail them a revised copy.
Listen
to the questions carefully before you frame an answer. Don’t
get tense and 'jump the gun'. Do not answer in 'yes' or 'no' or
speak too fast. If you don’t understand a question, ask the
interviewer to repeat it.
No
long pauses in the conversation. Keep the conversation lively
and engaging. At the same time don't be excessively hearty or
flippant.
Familiarise
yourself with some American phrases like "Come again"
etc. which mean that you need to repeat what you have just said.
Don't
refer to books or materials while being interviewed. Nor should
you ask another person to help you out. Be truthful, the interviewers
have conducted hundreds of tele interviews. It’s highly unlikely
that you will get away with lying.
Ask
questions about the company, about your job and any other information
you think is critical for you to take a decision on joining the
company
Be
precise and clear with technical questions. Explain your current
role and work assignment clearly. It could be that the interviewer
is also interviewing some of your colleagues. Discrepancies detected
could cost you your job.
Be
prepared for a power failure during the interview. Have an emergency
light handy.
Don’t
forget to thank the interviewer at the end of the interview. Ask
when you could expect to hear from them about the outcome of the
interview. Send a polite reminder if you do not hear from them
after the stipulated time.
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