If you land yourself an interview for your dream job, chances are (almost a 100%) the first round will be a telephonic interview, unless it is a walk-in. In this series of blog posts, we talk about e-interview etiquette and preparation required for skype/telephonic interviews. This one talks about the essentials to-dos for a telephonic interview!

The Environment:

Make sure the room you choose for your interview is clutter, noise and distraction free. The interview usually lasts for a maximum of 15-20 minutes, so let your roommates/family know that you do not want to be disturbed for the duration of the interview. Alternatively, choose a time for the interview when you would be by yourself. Also, believe it or not, a clutter free, tidy environment helps to focus!

Punctuality:

If you have asked for or been given a particular time slot, make sure you are ready 10 minutes before that. As in our previous posts, we cannot stress the importance of punctuality enough!

Ammunition:

Have your CV before you, a writing pad and a pencil ready. Have your cover letter ready for reference. You already know the most common questions they are going to ask you and the best part about a telephonic interview is you have a cheat code! However, if you haven’t prepared for it in advance and resort to simply “reading out”, needless to say, it will be more than evident!

The Call:

If you live in a basement or in a forest or on a mountain, make sure you find a place which will give you access to flawless network! One of the most distracting things a candidate could say while being interviewed is “sorry, come again?” or “sorry you are breaking off”. These minute things hamper the momentum of the conversation and should be avoided as far as possible. Also, if you are the one who’s making the call, make sure you have enough credit on the phone to last you through the interview!

Charge the phone: Need we say more?!

Body Language:

It might be a telephonic interview but your body language does make a difference. You can’t be lounging around in bed in your jammies while on the call. Treat it like a serious interview, in case you didn’t realize, it is one! Be at your desk/sit/stand so that you are attentive. Remember to focus, the voice will give you away sooner than you would like to believe if you come across as disinterested. “Smiling is the best way to break the ice and develop rapport with your interviewer. And on the phone, your smile will come through even though the interviewer can’t see you” – Forbes Magazine

Mock it!

You already know the set of predictable questions you are going to be asked. Take advantage of your research and go through a mock interview with a friend/colleague. This step gives you an overall practice and feel of the interview.

Follow up:

Here is a super smart tip on following up, what we at Oorja Biz Ops call a “WoW Tip”, from the Forbes Magazine by LearnVest on nailing phone interviews:

“Twenty-four to 48 hours after the interview ends, send an email thanking the interviewer for the opportunity and summarizing what you spoke about during the phone interview. The subject line should be: “Your name and the position you applied for.” If you want this job, now is the time to restate your interest. And, if you really want to appear smarter than most, include a link to an interesting news article about the company that you already found during your preparation research.”