How to nail a telephone interview

These days it is not uncommon to be asked to do a telephone interview as a part of the screening process. This is often to ease along the hiring process when there are a large number of applicants or if the interviewer is tight on time and wants to get a good understanding of the candidate before inviting them in for a formal interview. So how do you make sure you secure that important face-to-face encounter? Here’s our top tips for nailing your telephone interview. 

• Do you research: As you would with a face-to-face interview, you want to show the employer that you know about the company and the job role you are applying for. A lack of knowledge in these areas might suggest you aren’t fully interested.
• Have your CV in front of you: Often in telephone interviews, they will reference information from your CV to get a quick idea of who you are. Make sure you have a copy to hand - it could also be a good way for you to ease into the conversation.
• Write a list of talking points: The interviewer is trying to establish how communicative you are, so if you are worried about not knowing what to say, have a list of questions or talking points ready as a safety net.
• Listen to the interviewer: As well as seeing how well you converse, the interviewer will pick up on how you listen to what they say. Write notes as you go and bring it with you to the next stage interview if appropriate, it’ll show you paid attention.

For expert advice from the recruitment specialists, speak to one of our consultants at consultants@1strecruit.co.uk or call (01534) 875444 in Jersey and (01481) 736444 in Guernsey.