how to answer phone call interview

30 Great Job Interview Tips From the Experts, rehearse them in front of the mirror or with your family and friends, 5 Ways to Talk About Personal Strengths in Interviews, The Best Way to Answer Why Should We Hire You?, Mastering the Thank You Email After an Interview, How to Counter Offer in a Salary Negotiation. The purpose of sending the note is to confirm your interest in an interview. Its unspoken that youd be getting money to do the job. My degree in secondary education with a minor in psychology taught me the knowledge needed to properly advise students. The message you send to respond to an interview request does not need to be long. I would like to be promoted to a district manager position within the next two years and eventually move into a regional management role. Answering why did you leave your last job? successfully requires diplomacy and tact. But when youre trying to come up with specific, targeted answers on the spot, nerves can get the better of you. Phone interviews are used to screen candidates for a job and get a sense of what youd be like to work with. Use a creative template and give your resume a little flair to highlight your creative side. So you might come up with examples of a time you overcame a challenge, a time you worked on something interesting or significant, and a time you made a mistake. Hiring managers just want to confirm that youve read the job description carefully and understand the roles requirements. Not very many people were happy, but it had to be done, and people had to get on board. This interview determines whether or not you are considered for the job. More on Job Interviews30 Great Job Interview Tips From the Experts. Prior to enrolling in that program, I worked in financial services for two years, but I always loved building products and wanted to get more involved in coding. While an interviewer may not be able to see you during a phone call, the tone of your voice depends a lot on body language. It could be about the mentorship or career development that happens in the organization. 14. Youll usually hear this question if youre doing a phone interview with a startup, a restaurant, or some other fast-paced work environment. What are you doing? Restate the position and confirm the time. What was going on at the company at the time? Focus on the most positive aspects of your previous job and on what excites you about the new position. The answer: You need to have an answer that spans a few different areas. If youre fresh out of school, it could be a passion project or something youve done on your own. Recruiters perspective: Were looking for your passion; were looking for what excites you. Hiring managers ask this phone interview question to determine if youre easily overwhelmed or if you keep a cool head in stressful situations, which youre often likely to come across. Instead, keep each bullet to a few words or phrases to remind yourself what you most wanted to bring up. Here are the top ten phone interview questions candidates commonly encounter, regardless of the role: Your resume is stellar, your application was impeccable, youve caught a potential employers attention and now they want to get to know you better. Having come from a similar background as these kids, Im well-positioned to understand the struggles many students face during their senior year when theyre looking to pursue higher education or get a job. Im looking to take on greater responsibilities and grow with the company. Early-career interviewees might struggle with sticking to the etiquette of the phone interview and providing job-relevant responses. Because we had to reschedule to accommodate everyones availabilities, this caused a significant delay in the final design approval and manufacturing process. You have to have a 60-to-90-second pitch prepared for the employer that summarizes your experience. This is something you should have for an in-person interview anyway, but it still applies. If you can start right away, say so. What opportunities for career growth and personal development are available? Focus on the specific role and fill in two or three reasons you want this job in particular. In a startup, the persons communication style can be very important. Responses have been edited for length and clarity. And for people who have a really diverse background or random jobs, she adds, it can be hard for the person reading the resume to make those connections. In your answer, you should highlight the things youre passionate about that make you a good fit for the role. When someone says Oh, I've got the perfect thing that I can tell you about and they light up as theyre talking about it thats what were looking for. Follow these 12 steps to succeed in your next phone screen interview, and youll be invited to continue the interviewing process. Theyll start by sharing their stack with you, and then get a sense of your experience with it. It never feels natural, whether youre five months or 25 years into your career.. Am I speaking with Jackie Renshaw?. Unless you already asked questions as the interview progressed, the only wrong response to this question is nope, no questions because this indicates to interviewers that youre not curious about the job. Can someone advise me on how I should answer? To fill in this section, look at the job description for the role. Weve purposely designed it to not have a lot of room for your answers: Boiling things down to a few important words and phrases will remind you of the essentials while allowing you to keep your answers natural and spontaneous. Say "yes" to answer if you have Siri set up to announce calls. Interviewers commonly ask where do you see yourself in 5 years? during phone interviews to get an idea of your career goals. In my previous job, I increased sales by 25% because of my ability to come up with unconventional ideas to solve problems. You can tell when someone is prepared. Or you can discuss the outcome of your achievement and what impact it had on your career or the company you worked for, like the candidate in this sample answer: My greatest achievement would have to be the successful launch of a project I managed during my time working at XYZ Company. This will allow you to know each candidate's strengths and weaknesses within the same area. Then talk about key accomplishments you've had along the way, key career moves you've made and why. Do some research on the organization. Thats why we ask the question. Can you have a conversation with the product team to explain how something works? Also Check: Prepare For System Design Interview. How to answer: How Ive handled this in the past is telling a story about these multi-million dollar requests for proposals that we had to put together in three days. It may be helpful to have your CV in front of you as a reference but also expand on your CV points and try to compare your previous responsibilities to the position you are currently applying for. Interviewers are trying to get a sense of how much you expect to be paid and whether or not youre willing to negotiate. Research the average salary in your industry when considering what youd like to get paid, but be reasonable. A great place to start is by browsing the companys website. Providing as much advance notice as possible is helpful (and shows you really value communication). Tap the green button to accept the call. Its a lot to keep straight! An engineer might talk about a side project they worked on and how they pulled data from a data set, drew insights from that data and then built an app. With startups, you need somebody who can come in and modify their actions. Start with your voicemail since these interviews are often set up via a phone call. Example: Hi, this is Brooke Davis. 3. That can help you remember details that can sometimes evade you during a conversation. Then provide real examples of how youve put these strengths to work. "Tell me about your current/most recent job.". You can start off with something like, "Hello, this is [Your Name]" or "Hi [Name], this is [Your Name]. This process helps interviewers screen candidates and identify their skills, personality and qualifications before choosing who to meet in person. This is AMAZING! Since the successful completion of that project, XYZ company attracted dozens of new investors and over $20 million in additional revenue. This helps you understand the companys values and culture and how you might fit in. Its important to stay concise and focused with open-ended questions like this. You should use this time to explain your relevant experience, what you're currently doing and why that makes you qualified. While you don't just want to say, "Yes," answering isn't a challenge. If you know the interview is in a couple days, set up a Google News alert for the organization and look at the people who will be interviewing you. Applying for work where you might need to wear a suit? Tell me about a challenge you encountered and how you solved it. And when youre talking to hiring managers, giving them that information up front makes the process smoother. When might I hear back from you regarding next steps in the process? Being honest about what environment works best for you is going to be best for everyone in the long run. Tell me about yourself/Tell me about your background. Although you werent at your best at that time, be sure to choose a situation that doesnt directly impact your ability to perform the job youre applying for. If you increased sales by 24 percent, include the starting and ending revenue numbers, Buj said. [2] 3. Maria Selvaggio, VP of people at M1 Finance, More on Job Interviews5 Ways to Talk About Personal Strengths in Interviews. And if you have a past accomplishment that really shows your expertise in one of these areas, write down any highlights or key numbers that help quantify your success. He reenacted a phone call he once had with Russian President Vladimir Putin to drive home that point.. Trump said: "I talked to him. Identify the top three things that make you enthusiastic about working for this company and summarize them in a few words for your cheat sheet. These steps will guide you successfully through the telephone interview. Heres a great sample answer from a web developer interview candidate to inspire you to come up with your own: For me, its always been about overcoming challenges and seeing code work flawlessly after solving a bug. Recruiters perspective: When they ask if the demand was fair, they can suss out if [the candidate] has resentment theyre going to carry into whatever they do. I would be more than proud to be associated with XYZ.. Then, explain what youve done to improve yourself so that a similar situation doesnt happen again. I find that really rewarding. Thank you so much for contacting me about the project manager position at ABC Company. Ive been a fan of your app ever since it came out, and when I saw the company was hiring, I knew I could bring my five years of experience to help contribute to the companys growth.. What type of work environment do you prefer, Tell me about a time you demonstrated leadership skills. Remember that an interview is a two-way street: its essential that the companys management style is a good fit for you. The best way to prepare for a phone interview is by familiarizing yourself with common phone interview questions and thinking about your answers ahead of time. If youre new to the workforce, ask yourself where you go when you need to study. Have a clock in front of you so you can keep an eye on the time. Make sure to find something that sparks your interest in the job, the companys mission or its values, and relate it back to the work you might be doing. Has the company been in the news for anything cool? Whats something you worked on that youre proud of? If you progress to the next stage, you will have a chance to assess the company in more depth. Be honest here. Your answer should dial into exactly what theyre looking for. Practicing will help you feel more comfortable when speaking with the interviewer and ensure that your answers sound clear and concise. Lesia Harhaj, director of career success, Fullstack Academy. To give a well-rounded answer, its important to provide some context. When answering this phone interview question about your job goals, stay focused on why youre interested in the position youre applying for. How to answer: Im thinking about when I was working with a partner at an IT consulting company. Maybe you want to know more about a project the company recently announced or a program or approach theyre known for. However, Ive been working on communicating better with teammates and being more aware of their availability to avoid unnecessary tensions in the workplace.. I avoid procrastination at all costs, so I know that I can always count on completing my tasks on time. What kind of growth does the company expect to see within the next five years? Do a mock interview. 20+ Phone Interview Questions (and Answers) for 2023 | The Muse Advice / Job Search / Interviewing 20+ Phone Interview Questions You Should Be Ready to Answer in 2023 by Alyse Kalish Updated 1/30/2023 Getting invited to a phone interview can feel like you're making your first real step toward your next job. Im confident that with my 5 years of experience and excellent track record, I have the potential to reach these goals.. It could be about the mentorship or career development that happens in the organization. It can also help to read a few articles about the company and what theyre posting on social media. (A Real 'LIVE' Telephone Job Interview Example!) You can also search the internet for recent news articles. When answering interview questions about your work style, take the opportunity to explain how you approach tasks and provide tangible examples of actions youve taken in the past. In a preliminary phone interview, you might be asked when youd be able to start. Depending on whom youre speaking to, you can ask at least one, if not two, questions that havent been answered already during your conversation. 1. Sometimes the person interviewing you wont be the hiring manager but a recruiter or someone in HR who has little background in your field. For example, maybe the company is rebranding and thats something youve done before, so youre eager to bring your experience to the table. Start Off Strong. Pick some of your strengths that overlap with the requirements in the job ad. At a minimum, Buj suggests looking up the company mission and history. The manager is not always the most popular person, but youve got to get people on board. Do you have a genuine desire to help people by coming up with solutions to their problems? When interviewers ask you about what youre looking for in a new position, they want confirmation that your interests align with the position. This question is understandably difficult to answer because you dont want to respond in a way thatll hurt your chances of landing the job. Crush your phone interview with these tips. Buttoned up yet stylish. Get ideas from our in-house career coaches. The question sets you up to relate why you are interested in this role, why you would be a good fit and why you would be someone who could meaningfully contribute to the team. If I were to take this role, what are three things youd want me to accomplish. Youre hoping that [the interviewer] looked at your resume before the call, so its a mutual respect thing. Failing to prepare is preparing to fail. How to Start a Conversation on a Telephone Interview. Pro tip: In addition to asking what drew you to this role, the interviewer might want to know how you found it in the first place. Brian Nordli is a Built In associate editor for the expert contributor network, where he edits articles on data science, software engineering and more. And where are you going? With your prepared talking points at hand, your interview will be a lot more successful than if you were just winging it. Take note of any unique elements in their values, workplace, or benefits that excite you or match well with your work style and personality. Pay attention to why your interviewer is asking each specific question theyre not just doing it for fun. At the start of the call, tell the interviewer that there are 3 major points that you hope to have time to discuss. It's . So, lets get down to it. Answer by the third ring It's courteous to pick up the phone promptly to avoid making callers wait. Even though it's a phone conversation, smiling during your interview can promote a positive tone in your voice. Position a . Be clear and concise with your interview questions and responses to the candidate. FREE BONUS PDF CHEAT SHEET: Get our Phone Interview Questions & Answers Cheat Sheet that gives you word for word sample answers to the most common phone interview questions that you can use in your next phone interview. Dont be afraid to create a cheat sheet of answers and bring it with you to the interview to reference either. Tell me about yourself. If you dont have experience, you can say its a skill youre interested in learning. The most crucial part of a phone interview is answering the phone call when it rings. Its important for me to make sure that Im taking care of myself so that I can stay focused when things get tough.. If youre prepared, that confidence and preparedness is going to show through.. Your goal is to make a great impression. While all phone interviews are different, they do follow a similar blueprint, Harhaj added. If you havent solved the exact challenge before, whats your thought process? Have a pen and paper handy for taking notes about important info like names, salary expectations, job duties, important dates, or anything else that comes up in the interview. Here is a list of phone interview questions to help you prepare: 1. You want to make sure that your goals are aligned with those of the company, so explain why the role seems like a good fit for you based on your research. If you built an e-commerce platform, did you build the shopping cart? For more advanced phone interview tips, check out this guide from WayUp! That doesnt mean you should be reading off a script the entire time, of course. It reiterates your interest in the position and establishes an open line of communication with the key decision-makers. I am actually interviewing with a few other companies, but Im really interested in this role due to its variety of responsibilities, and I think it would be a great fit for me. This person will be the person recommending whether or not you should go forward.. Its not enough to just say you would be excited to work for them. Read the job description carefully and think about how you match the selection criteria. I left the company when my contract was terminated, as I wanted to work for a slightly larger company that offers a larger variety of insurance policies.. I decided to focus on getting back into a healthy routine and learning to be more resilient to stress. Knowing how to use this function correctly, in addition to keeping an updated list of colleagues and their responsibilities for you to reference, will help you ensure that calls are transferred to the correct individual. That way, the recruiter can start to visualize what youve accomplished. How would you describe the team I would be working with? For example, if youve worked for eight years total, but the past four in the same industry as this employer, spend almost all of your time discussing your experience over the past four years in their industry. You can always try to defer the conversation to a later stage in the hiring process, but it helps to be prepared in the event that this strategy doesnt work. In years gone by that would have meant an in person interview but in todays increasingly busy digital world, many preliminary and some final interviews are being held in a wide variety of mediums including on the phone. Its not enough to just say you would be excited to work for them. Here is an example of all steps combined: Example:"Hi, Ms. Renshaw, this is Gemma, and I'm calling for the scheduled phone interview I have with you today. The best way to answer this interview question is by being honest. Other people are very direct. Jot them down. This is something that Im constantly working on, and have been making an effort to plan my days more efficiently. Munching and slurping: have a glass of water nearby just in case your mouth goes dry mid call, but dont eat or drink proper while taking part in a telephone interview. You cant predict exactly which behavioral questions youll get, but if you have a few polished stories, you should be able to adapt them to multiple situations. Here are a few additional strategies that will help you to rock your phone interview. So before youve chosen your interview outfit or practiced your handshake, youll need to practice a few phone interview tips to get you to the next step. For example, Im hoping to make between $60,000 and $65,000. Recruiters perspective: They want to see whether the candidate understands whats required to do the job, and if they have the experience that theyre looking for. Researching the company is an easy way to understand the companys history, mission and values. Other times, theyll ask for a salary based on research theyve done. They might say, Im really aiming for this salary, but Im flexible with other perks.. Recruiters perspective: We want people who are going to be in a role that they will enjoy and that theyre going to stay in for a long time. How to answer: First, I would recommend [candidates] look at the top three bullets in the roles job requirements. Read Also: What To Wear To An Interview Women. What is the development path for this position? When talking about your weaknesses, however, focus on general skills that dont directly impact your ability to do your job. How would you describe the company culture? You May Like: Preparing For System Design Interview. All rights reserved. Take note of the skills and experiences they emphasize. Providing that context will help your accomplishments stand out to the interviewer and make it more tangible. Have your CV handy. You should be able to speak to the type of work [the company does], who they cater to based on how they market themselves and what they say about themselves. They want to understand what didnt work out and, more importantly, what that means for what youre looking for now. Recruiter's perspective: This is a question you will be asked in every interview from the phone screen to sitting down with a CTO. Call or write the recruiter or hiring manager as soon as you confirm that the time is a convenient one and start your preparation for a successful first interview. In the following sample answer, the candidate not only mentions one of her greatest accomplishments and skills but what attracted her to the position and how she can contribute to the company: I want to work here because the job encourages the use of creativity and thinking outside the box. As a former talent recruiter and current VP of people for M1 Finance, Maria Selvaggio can always tell when a candidate is winging it. How to answer: At this point, theres no excuse for getting on a phone interview and not having an answer. Before joining The Muse, Regina was an editor for InvestorPlace, where she also wrote about topics such as investing and biotech companies. This will give you a sense of what its like to work there and provide some jumping-off points about where you can add value to the company. To help you prepare for your interview, we asked the recruiting experts to break down some of the most common phone interview questions and offer tips on how to answer them. Tell me about yourself Tell me about yourself " is usually the first question asked during a phone interview. For the cheat sheet, give each story a title that reminds you what happened and add any numbers or specific details that might be difficult to recall in the moment. They want to see that you can keep the focus on what needs to be done, when you are going to do it and whats going to happen, rather than how people will feel. in NYC, The Perfect Way To Answer The Phone For An Interview, How To Stop Saying Filler Words During An Interview. When you answer the phone for an interview, do so with great energy while remaining professional. So think it through: Why did you apply? I enjoy being in the field and sharing peoples stories to get my audience thinking about how they can make their community a better place. This is your first introduction to the company and potentially to the team. Nothis guy isnt ready for his phone interview! Whether youre just starting out or looking to change jobs, it helps to know what questions to expect during a phone interview. The last thing you want is to hang up the phone without convincing the interviewer that youre amazing and would be a great fit for their company! You dont need to go into too much depth with your answers, but you should be able to succinctly tie your past experiences to the job opportunity, said Amanda Augustine, a career expert at TopResume. Regardless, steer clear of saying youre excited about a position for the pay. May I speak with Jackie Renshaw, please?, Example:Hi, this is Gemma Rutherford, and Im calling for our scheduled phone interview today. Later you can decide whether or not you really want this job. Interviews are always unnerving. Youre one step away from getting the job. (Ideally, you have most of them.) During a phone screen interview, the interviewer will ask a series of questions to assess the candidate's . Review some typical questions and answers here, and you'll have a great head start. They may also ask you about the team sizes youve worked on and whether you worked in agile versus waterfall [software development styles], because it has to do with the pacing of the job. You may find that the telephone interviewer is working on behalf of the employer to do the initial screen of applicants and cannot answer detailed questions about the job and company. A phone screen interview is a type of job screening that takes place over the phone. Before your interview, you should review the job description and come up with examples from your own career for each requirement bulleted, said Margaret Buj, who works as an independent interview coach, as well as a tech talent recruiter for Typeform. Win over hiring managers with our expert tips. In this article, we break down the most common phone interview screening questions and explain how to answer them properly with examples. I think that your commitment to customer satisfaction is also evident in your strong following and the way that you go above and beyond to deliver excellent service. This ensures that everyone is aware of the importance of being away from the phone when the call comes. Let the interviewer know you are looking forward to the call and that she can contact you in the meantime with questions or requests for more information before the interview. Phone systems can be a challenge to use the right way. Before your phone interview, practice smiling in front of a mirror or with family or friends. Well show you how to create your own. Follow a script similar to the one used for a phone reply, except for your introduction. This conversation typically occurs at the beginning of the hiring process and typically involves questions regarding your experience, skills and qualifications. Yes, its true, your future boss might not need to know that youre on the other end of the line in your favorite Scooby Doo flannels, but that doesnt mean that you shouldnt treat the phone interview as seriously, if not more seriously, than any other standard interview. Most phone interviews cover three topics your background, your achievements and challenges, and what you can bring to the company. I would be happy to do a phone interview Thursday, March 16, at 1:30 p.m. Im looking forward to talking with you more about the position. Impress the interviewer by mentioning current projects or initiatives related to the role. Its very satisfying to be able to take an idea from concept to reality.. Recruiters perspective: They want to see that you dont get all caught up in [team politics]. The more you practice your answers, the more confident youll sound. I had been working long hours regularly and had difficulty maintaining a healthy work-life balance due to significant staff shortages. Although Im still in the learning process, I havent missed a deadline in the past three months.. answers that impress me are when a candidate goes the extra mile and shows that they know a lot about our company. After that, head to social media and Google. Is there an aspect of their company culture that youd love to be part of? Take another look at the job description, but this time focus on how the company describes itself. Im feeling much better now, and Im excited to get back into the workforce.. So think of the phone interview as a teaser trailer an brief overview to make the employer excited to learn more in a full interview later on.Heres how to prepare your teaser trailer ahead of time: Write down, on paper, the 3 major points of your sales pitch and have them in front of you during the call. Its impressive when people can share an example of how they embody a company value and why it speaks to them. 1 Greet the interviewer professionally.

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