Perfecting your phone interview answers

By Courtney Bousquet, Guest Contributor

Phone interviews are gaining in popularity for numerous reasons: budget cuts, cutting back on travel, as well as screening applicants from a large applicant pool. Whatever the reason, be ready to ace your next phone interview! Use this opportunity as a way to showcase your passion, interest and credibility to the employer, not just your background.

US World News & World Report’s  “On Career” contributor, Arnie Fertig, discusses four objectives that can help you ace your next phone interview!

1. “Convey your personal brand.” This is essentially your elevator speech. The 30 seconds that you have practiced that discusses your professional life and how your background matches with the job opening, without mentioning the job itself. This opens the door for the interviewer to see how closely aligned your skills are to the position at hand as well as see your enthusiasm for the position and company.
2. “Explain why you applied to the job.” This almost seems like a given, but you would be surprised by the number of people who forget about this step. With job hunters mass applying to jobs, they often forget what initially attracted them to the position and do not convey that. Show the employer how excited you are to be talking to them about this position and the company. Make them feel your passion and show them the fruits of your extensive research.
3. “Explain how this job fits as a natural part of your career development.” Oftentimes employers focus on the jobs that you have previously held. Instead, take the time and show the employer how these jobs have prepared you to succeed in the current opening. Showcase your transferable skills and paint a picture of how your past can help your future: how this position will fit into your career development. Express to the employer that you are ready join their ranks, and how you plan to contribute to the bottom line.
4. “Proactively deal with the red flags.” This may be the last thing you think you would want to cover in your first interaction with an employer, but it can help ease the employer’s mind and show that you are not afraid to cover the difficult topics. Address anything that you may think would be of concern to the employer, such as relocation, salary history, employment gaps and education, but do not call out any past professional experiences that negatively impact your image if avoidable (for instance, why you gave 1 week notice at your last job before your gap in employment).

All-in-all, the phone interview can open the door to many opportunities, so it is important to set up your answers to demonstrate how you can meet a specific employer’s needs, not necessarily your own. The phone interview also allows you to ask questions–do not be afraid to find out more about the company, as you will want to ensure this is the right fit for you and the company before moving forward to the next step. As always, remember to breath, speak slowly and ’call in’ from professional setting, helping you to tap into that professional interview mindset!