anyone have any good tips????

Question

I am having a phone interview on thursday morning and i have never had a "phone interview" before. can anyone offer me some good pointers? i am more of a face to face kind of gal..... thankyou sooooo much!!! =)

Answer 1

Be sure that the phone bill is paid and that you will have privacy. If this is a land line at your house I would tell any other people that use the phone that they should make any calls they need well before or well after your interview and not to interrupt you during your call unless it is very important. If it is a cell phone - be sure you are in an area with a good signal.

Put a mirror in front of your self and smile into it as you are talking. You would be surprised how much this can put you in a better mood and it will carry over to your interviewer. Be sure and answer the phone professionally.

I'd go to some job sites that give a lot of q & a for interview questions and brush up on your responses.

Good luck!

Answer 2

I have the same problem. I am much better in face-to-face interviews.

I would suggest printing out the job requirements/qualifications and noting how you fulfill each of those by writing down something to say beside each requirement. For example, a sample qualification could be: strong project management skills. You note would be "handled multiple projects at one time and exceeded deadlines." That way, you have something to say if the interviewer asks you to describe how you are a good fit for the job.

Also, be sure to research their company and website if they have one. You can ask intelligent questions about their company and business. This shows you were interested in their firm and did some research. Be prepared for questions you would normally get in an in person interview as well. I was asked a situational question that caught me off guard once since it was so specific. Sometimes, firm's screening interviews can be tough.

Be prepared to explain why you left each of your previous jobs and/or why you want to leave your current job. Also, make sure to have a salary range in mind in case they push for it. Nowadays, I am experiencing a lot more salary questions upfront in phone interviews.

Best of luck!

Answer 3

For many of us, interviews are the most
fearsome part of finding a job. But they are also our best
chance to show an employer our qualifications. Interviews are
far more flexible than application forms or tests. Use that
flexibility to your advantage. As with tests, you can reduce
your anxiety and improve your performance by preparing for your
interviews ahead of time.

Begin by considering what interviewers want to know. You
represent a risk to the employer. A hiring mistake is expensive
in terms of lost productivity, wasted training money, and the
cost of finding a replacement. To lessen the risk, interviewers
try to select people who are highly motivated, understand what
the job entails, and show that their background has prepared
them for it.

You show that you are highly motivated by learning about
the company before the interview, by dressing appropriately,
and by being well mannered--which means that you greet the
interviewer by name, you do not chew gum or smoke, you listen
attentively, and you thank the interviewer at the end of the
session. You also show motivation by expressing interest in the
job at the end of the interview.

You show that you understand what the job entails and that
you can perform it when you explain how your qualifications
prepare you for specific duties as described in the company's
job listing and when you ask intelligent questions about the
nature of the work and the training provided new workers.

One of the best ways to prepare for an interview is to
have some practice sessions with a friend or two. Here is a
list of some of the most commonly asked questions to get you
started.

* Why did you apply for this job?

* What do you know about this job or company?

* Why did you choose this career?

* Why should I hire you?

* What would you do if... (usually filled in with a
work-related crisis)?

* How would you describe yourself?

* What would you like to tell me about yourself?

* What are your major strengths?

* What are your major weaknesses?

* What type of work do you like to do best?

* What are your interests outside work?

* What type of work do you like to do least?

* What accomplishment gave you the greatest satisfaction?

* What was your worst mistake?

* What would you change in your past life?

* What courses did you like best or least in school?

* What did you like best or least about your last job?

* Why did you leave your last job?

* Why were you fired?

* How does your education or experience relate to this job?

* What are your goals?

* How do you plan to reach them?

* What do you hope to be doing in 5 years? 10?

* What salary do you expect?

Many jobhunting books available at libraries discuss ways
to answer these questions. Essentially, your strategy should be
to concentrate on the job and your ability to do it no matter
what the question seems to be asking. If asked for a strength,
mention something job related. If asked for a weakness, mention
a job-related strength (you work too hard, you worry too much
about details, you always have to see the big picture). If
asked about a disability or a specific negative factor in your
past--a criminal record, a failure in school, being fired--be
prepared to stress what you learned from the experience, how
you have overcome the shortcoming, and how you are now in a
position to do a better job.

So far, only the interviewer's questions have been
discussed. But an interview will be a two-way conversation. You
really do need to learn more about the position to find out if
you want the job. Given how frustrating it is to look for a
job, you do not want to take just any position only to learn
after 2 weeks that you cannot stand the place and have to look
for another job right away. Here are some questions for you to
ask the interviewer.

* What would a day on this job be like?

* Whom would I report to? May I meet this person?

* Would I supervise anyone? May I meet them?

* How important is this job to the company?

* What training programs are offered?

* What advancement opportunities are offered?

* Why did the last person leave this job?

* What is that person doing now?

* What is the greatest challenge of this position?

* What plans does the company have with regard to...?
(Mention some development of which you have read or heard)

* Is the company growing?

After you ask such questions, listen to the interviewer's
answers and then, if at all possible, point to something in
your education or experience related to it. You might notice
that questions about salary and fringe benefits are not
included in the above list. Your focus at a first interview
should be the company and what you will do for it, not what it
will pay you. The salary range will often be given in the ad or
position announcement, and information on the usual fringe
benefits will be available from the personnel department. Once
you have been offered a position, you can negotiate the salary.
The jobhunting guides available in bookstores and at the
library give many more hints on this subject.

At the end of the interview, you should know what the next
step will be: Whether you should contact the interviewer again,
whether you should provide more information, whether more
interviews must be conducted, and when a final decision will be
reached. Try to end on a positive note by reaffirming your
interest in the position and pointing out why you will be a
good choice to fill it.

Immediately after the interview, make notes of what went
well and what you would like to improve. To show your interest
in the position, send a follow-up letter to the interviewer,
providing further information on some point raised in the
interview and thanking the interviewer once again. Remember,
someone is going to hire you; it might be the person you just
talked to.

Answer 4

Write all your questions you want to ask.. a head of time

Answer 5

Smile, trust me it will be heard in your voice, if you smile when your talking people will notice. Hope this helps

Answer 6

Speak up, don't talk soft. Don't fill in the dead time with "Ummm"