Whether you like using the phone or not, there are times when the phone is not your friend. One such time is when a job interviewer calls and wants to interview you over the phone. Run, don’t walk, from this situation.
Generally we think of a job interview as a face-to-face interaction with a company’s hiring decision maker. But sometimes unbeknownst to us we’re expected to respond on the spur of the moment to a disembodied voice on the telephone. While they may be “convenient” for companies, telephone interviews aren’t beneficial to anyone, but especially you.
First, you don’t have the opportunity to create that important first impression. No one’s going to see your dazzling smile, freshly polished shoes, beautifully-styled hair, confident walk, or dress-for-success outfit. No one will feel your firm handshake.
By the same token, you won’t be able to assess the interviewer and how you’re being received. You won’t be able to monitor the full range of nonverbal behaviors to tell you what the interviewer is really saying and adapt to its nuances. You won’t know to correct subtle misperceptions.
But perhaps more importantly, telephone interviews frequently don’t allow you to prepare yourself. This alone can create situational and free-floating anxiety. But if you’re telephonophobic, socially anxious, or just plain uncomfortable presenting yourself on the phone where your life hangs on whatever rolls trippingly off your tongue, then your anxiety can turn into paralysis…and seal your doom, leaving you looking as if you have delusions of adequacy.
Like many job hunters, I have experienced the telephone interview disaster. The interviewer hadn’t designated a specific time. I was caught off guard when the phone rang and it was the interviewer. All I could think was, “Huh? Ad? Which ad was that?” And the harder I thought, the worse things got.
Even when the caller described the position to me, it was only vaguely familiar because I’d recently applied to at least a dozen positions. I was still frantically pawing through my papers as the caller began the interview. But trying to read and listen at the same time only made things worse.
The anonymous caller was the one in control. He had defined the situation, determined when he would call, what he would ask, and how I would be able to respond. I felt compelled to blindly follow his lead – even to my own destruction. Imagine what would happen if you called Robin Williams, Steve Martin, or Dave Chappelle at 3 a.m., waking them, saying, “You claim to be funny. Okay, go ahead and prove it.” They can’t and you can’t either.
To prevent a recurrence I mapped out a game plan for myself. If I couldn’t have a scheduled in-office interview, I had to have a scheduled phone interview. If possible, I wanted to call them to give yourself a psychological edge. I posted a copy of my script over my desk and by the phones.
To prepare for the interview
– Know that you as a job seeker are going to have to carry the ball for 80 per cent of the interview
– Know what questions are likely to be asked and have your answers ready
– Have vignettes ready that show what you’ve accomplished and the results
– Know the company and job and ask carefully-targeted questions
– Have all your materials ready and on-hand, preferably in notes or keyword format so you don’t have to do a lot of reading to find what you want
– Sound friendly, courteous, and professional
– Follow up the call with a thank-you/summarization note, emphasizing your match with the position and the benefits you’ll bring to the company
When the phone isn’t your friend, you can at least keep it from becoming your enemy