How to Handle a Telephonic Interview
An interview over the phone may seem easier than one that happens face to face, but this is not what happens in reality. A telephonic interview too can be botched up just like a face-to-face interview. Issues such as noisy background, call drops, and lack of preparedness can cause a telephonic interview to go haywire. Other issues such as diction and intonation also become important since they are akin to a candidate's body language in a face-to-face interview. When you’re interviewed via phone, you’ll have to work even harder to make sure that you are presentable, personable and capable and would indeed prove to be a perfect candidate.
Why some companies emphasize on conducting telephonic interviews
When companies face a lot of pressure, they prefer conducting telephonic interviews to quickly eliminate an incompetent candidate since calling such candidates for a face-to-face round could lead to wastage of resources and time. So, they would like to be doubly sure before meeting you in person. Conducting telephonic interviews also comes in handy when a candidate is out of town and can’t appear for a face-to-face round.
How to take care of telephonic interviews
- Take it as seriously as a face-to-face interview
Taking telephonic interviews lightly is a big mistake and this is the reason why many candidates fail to cross this stage. If it’s an early morning interview, don’t give it by simply sitting on your bed after having your cup of tea. Instead, get up in the morning, prepare yourself, and put yourself in a relaxed posture on your kitchen table or a chair. Prepare mentally about how you are actually going to deal with it from the beginning. Double check your primary information about the company and the position you applied for.
- Tailor your answers in advance
This does not mean memorizing answers since it will be a bad idea. Customizing some of the answers would be the best possible way to ensure that you come up with satisfactory answers to what the interviewer asks you and pitch yourself as an ideal candidate for the job.
- Focus on your intonation, diction, and the way you speak
The importance of the way you speak increases in telephonic interviews. Make sure that every word that you utter is clear and audible. Answer the questions a bit slowly than normal and not too fast. Make sure that you breathe and speak clearly. Though you may not be smiling, the tone of your voice should reflect that you are.
- Give a pause to avoid an awkward situation
Sometimes, people ask questions but they don’t stop after that and continue to talk. So, give the interviewer a few seconds after each question before you start asking something so that both don’t start talking at the same time.
Summing up
Following these tips should ensure that you have a smooth interview and that you pass this hurdle easily. Once you have done this, you should end your interview on a sound note.
