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Hello … time for that telephone interview

Physician Executive, March-April, 2007 by Jennifer R. Grebenschikoff

Imagine being interviewed when both you and your interviewer are blindfolded. You can't see her and she can't see you. How do you connect with her? How do you establish the relationship? How do you make that all important first impression?

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The odds are that part of your next job interview process will include a phone interview. Employers use the telephone interview for two purposes:

1. To save time and money

After reviewing your resume and deciding to interview you, in an hour or less on the phone with you an employer can know better about whether you might be the right person for the job, and neither you nor she had to travel to do it. No time spent in airports or on the highway. No expenses for flights, hotels and meals.

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2. To screen candidates

Most employers have many excellent candidates to choose from but don't want to bring all of them in for onsite interviews. Through phone interviews, the employer can narrow the field down to four or five candidates to invite for face-to-face interviews.

A phone interview can be very tricky and one of the most difficult of all types of interviews. You can increase your success at getting past this first step of the hiring process if you follow this advice:

* Know them. Do your homework by researching the employer. Read the company's literature. Review the organization's web site. Ask your contact (the employer's representative you are working with or the recruiter who is arranging this) for specific information about the hiring organization and the person you will be speaking to.

* Know you. Prepare talking points about your accomplishments and achievements and how they relate to the position you are applying for. List the skills and abilities needed in this new role and how your expertise aligns with what the employer seeks. But don't read from a script. It will sound too stilted and not conversational.

* Dress professionally. Even though she can't see you, this is not the time for pajamas and slippers. Wearing business attire mentally reminds you to project a professional, confident attitude.

* Find a quiet room. A phone interview is not the time when you can afford to have interruptions of any kind. Make sure you close the door and put a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door. Lock the door from the inside to keep the kids out, or have someone keep the kids busy.

* Use a land phone line. If you are receiving the call or making the call, give the employer both your land line number and your cell phone number. But use the cell phone only as a backup if there is a problem with the land line. The cell phone is less reliable, coverage can be spotty, and the reception can make the conversation difficult to hear clearly. Those TV commercials about dropped calls and lost conversations didn't come from the advertisers' imaginations!

* No food. Gum chewing or sucking on mints sounds 10 times worse over the phone. If your mouth is dry, have a glass of water nearby and take small sips. And don't drink soda; it will make you burp.

* No sneezes. But if you have to sneeze or cough, move the phone away from your face and cover the receiver. When you return you can say, "Excuse me, I sneezed. Would you repeat that?"

* Smile. It makes a huge difference in the way your message is heard. Listen to TV with your eyes closed and you will quickly "hear" which speaker is smiling and which one is not. Smiling when you talk projects you as a friendly and warm person.

* Answer the phone. If the employer is calling you, remind your family that you and only you will answer the phone. It isn't cute to have your three-year old pick up the phone and say, "Who's this?" and then yell into the phone, "Mom, it's for you!"

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* Listen and respond. Allow the interviewer to finish what she is saying. In a face-to-face setting you get visual clues that tell you when you can interrupt, but you won't have that on the telephone. Listen carefully to figure out when it is your turn to answer her.

* Silence is okay. Don't feel you have to fill the void. She may be thinking, reviewing her notes, and preparing for her next question. From your side, you can take a moment to think about her question before you answer. You can say something like, "Hmm ... that is an interesting question. Let me think about that a moment."

* List of questions. Most experienced interviewers will ask lots of questions and then turn the discussion around to you with a question such as, "I've asked you a lot of questions. Is there something you'd like to ask me?" The correct answer is, "Yes, there is." That shows you have done your homework, you want to learn more, and that you are interested in who the employer is and what the job will be.

* Be proud. Near the end of the conversation, the interviewer might ask you, "Is there anything else you want to mention?" This is not the time to be overly humble. Have a list of three strengths or areas of expertise that emphasize why you are the perfect person for the job and tell her about them. This is the time to pat yourself on the back and be your own cheerleader.

Health Care Industry

Hello … time for that telephone interview

Physician Executive, March-April, 2007 by Jennifer R. Grebenschikoff

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