Jobseeker > Career Tips

TELEPHONE INTERVIEWS

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.