INTERVIEW TIPS - 10 examples of competency-based interview questions

INTERVIEW TIPS - 22 Phone Interview Tips to Help You Nail the Call (and Move to the Next Round)

Posted 15th February 2022 • Written by Alyse Kalish on themuse.com • • • • •

There’s truly nothing more rewarding than getting a response from an application you sent in to your dream job asking you to hop on the phone for an interview. Not only did all your hard work—editing your resume, writing a cover letter, putting together writing samples, and filling out endless forms—pay off, but you’re finally going to meet the person (or people) hiring for your role. Or, uh, well, hear their voice at least.

Before you go from ecstatic to panicked wondering how in the hell you’re going to knock the interviewer’s socks off, we’ve compiled all the phone interview tips you could ever need to get yourself prepared—and guarantee you’ll get to meet the hiring manager in person in the next round.

Preparing for a video interview?: 20 Video Interview Tips to Help You Dazzle the Hiring Manager and Get the Job

Tips 1-13 Before Your Phone Interview

1. Get Clear on the Details

This means knowing:

The time of your phone interview (and in what time zone!)
Who exactly you’ll be speaking with and their role (if there’s more than one person, figure out what order you’ll be speaking to them in)
What number they’ll be calling from
What number they’ll be calling you at (if you have two or more phone lines)
Any other contact information (like their email or the company’s main line) you may need if the call drops

If this wasn’t spelled out to you, just ask! There’s nothing wrong with getting some clarity on something that affects both of your schedules (and you’ll be grateful you didn’t have to deal with a missed call or meeting that started late).

You can send the following email:

Hi [Name],

I’m excited to speak with you on [date]! I just wanted to double check what time we’re chatting at (I have [time] [time zone] on my calendar) and what number you’ll be calling from. Please let me know if there’s anything else you need from me before our call.

Thanks so much!
[Your Name]

Or you can follow up on your previous conversations with:

Hi [Name],

Just confirming we’re chatting on [date] at [time] [time zone] and you’ll be calling me at [phone number]/I’ll be calling you at [phone number]? Let me know if I have that schedule wrong.

Thanks,
[Your Name]

Oh, and if you need to reschedule for whatever emergency reason, use this email template and be proactive—in other words, don’t wait until the last second to cancel if you can help it.

2. Do Your Research

Treat it like any other interview—and prepare, prepare, prepare. Too many people make the mistake of winging a phone interview thinking it’s not as important or they can handle it no problem, when in reality they find themselves stumbling over their answers and messing up their chances.

First, give the job description a gander to understand exactly what role you’re interviewing for and what the interviewer may ask you about over the phone.

Then, do some digging into the company. Browse their website, Google them to gather some recent news updates, read their employee testimonials on other sites (like The Muse!), and scroll through their social media. Get a sense of not just what your specific role would entail and what the team does, but the company’s history, mission, and overall vibe. This will help you in crafting tailored interview answers and asking thoughtful questions.

As Muse writer and former recruiter Rich Moy notes in an article about what recruiters look for in a phone interview, you don’t want to just regurgitate the organization’s “About” page. Rather, find ways to tie the company’s values to your own and use that to showcase how great a fit you are.

3. Practice Your Answers (and Talking on the Phone)

Next on the list is prepping answers to any and all phone interview questions you might be asked. Once you nail those down, practice answering these other common interview questions and compile two to three questions to ask the interviewer at the very end.

But preparing for a phone interview isn’t just about crafting answers to predictable questions you may be asked. It’s also about knowing how to convey those answers over the phone. So if you want to ensure you’re making the right kind of impression, phone a friend and have them listen to your responses and give feedback (more advice on running a successful mock interview here).

4. Prepare Your Salary Number

Yes, this is might come up, especially if the phone interview is an initial screening call with HR. So you’ll want to have a smart answer ready. (But if they don’t ask, you’ll probably want to wait for a later round to bring it up yourself.)

Figure out what you’re worth by using a salary calculator and reading this article and this one. Then practice how you’ll convey that request by reading this article on discussing salary requirements.

And check out this article if you find yourself being asked the (illegal in many places!) question, “What’s your current salary?”

5. Create a Cheat Sheet

All this information shouldn’t just sit inside your head. One, because it doesn’t have to—the beauty of phone interviews is that you can have notes right in front of you without the interviewer having any clue. And two, because we often freeze up when we’re nervous, so why put yourself in the position of forgetting everything?

Take the research you did, the answers you prepared, and the questions you have and jot them down into a notebook, on a Post-it, or in a one-page document (we even made a cheat sheet for you!). And stick to bullet points—you certainly don’t want to be reading your answers off like a script. That’ll just make you sound inauthentic and frankly make the interview more stressful.

6. Print Out Other Relevant Documents

In addition to your cheat sheet, it might help to also print out a copy of your resume and cover letter, as well as any other information you think you might need to reference (like your salary research). As Muse writer Aja Frost points out, the interviewer may bring up points you made in these documents, and you’ll want to know what they’re talking about.

7. Gather Your Tools

This can consist of:

A charger
Headphones
A notepad and pen/pencil (or a laptop, if that’s how you prefer to take notes—just don’t spend the whole conversation tapping away because that can be distracting)
A water bottle
A toy to play with (if it helps you focus—I’m a big fan of the fidget cube)

8. Dress the Part

Sure, taking a phone interview in your pajamas sounds appealing—in fact, it’s why we love them so much—but dressing the part can only add to your confidence. So resist the urge to wear sweatpants and opt for an outfit that makes you feel like the kind of person who could rock it in this job. Or at least an outfit that’s comfortable enough and still makes you feel like a professional. (If you’re taking the call in the office, you’ll check this box off no problem!)

9. Find a Quiet, Comfortable, and Convenient Place

At home, this may mean locking yourself in a room that’s away from family, roommates, or pets. At work, this may mean booking yourself a conference room or Breather, finding a coffee shop nearby, or settling for your car or a quiet side street. Wherever you decide to go, scope it out a day or two early for all the necessities—a comfy seat (if available); minimal distractions, interruptions, or foot traffic; good phone service; and an outlet if possible.

10. Cut the Distractions

This goes hand in hand with finding your ideal phone interview location. Book time on your calendar so people know they can’t bother you during that time (and make the event private or give it a fake name so your boss doesn’t find out what you’re up to), lock your bedroom door so your roommates or kids don’t come waltzing in, and silence any notifications on your phone or laptop. If you’re in a public place, try facing away from a window or toward a wall so you aren’t distracted by people walking by or things happening around you.

And—this is key—use headphones! They’ll minimize surrounding noise and help you to further focus on the conversation—and only the conversation.

By the way, please do not eat or chew gum during your interview. If you prefer, set a glass of water next to you for when your mouth starts to get dry.

11. Factor in the Worst-Case Scenarios

Your phone dies. Your interview runs over and someone’s trying to get into your conference room. You get distracted and lose your train of thought. You forget everything you’ve practiced and have zero things to say.

These are unlikely to happen, but knowing what to expect can help you overcome your worst fears and respond proactively should you need to.

Having the essentials in place—like a phone charger and cheat sheet—can do wonders for your confidence. And if you’re worried you’ll run over, make sure your space is available and booked an extra 15-30 minutes before and after the scheduled time.

Being afraid of talking on the phone is normal, so if that’s your biggest worry the best thing you can do is practice—over and over again until nothing surprises you. And try reading this article on overcoming phone interview phobia, this one on becoming a “phone person”, and this one on refocusing after you get distracted.

12. Set a Friendly (and Professional) Voicemail Message

Ideally you’ll actually pick up the phone when the interviewer calls. But in case you can’t for whatever reason, you’ll want to make the best impression you can offline—and this means setting up a professional voicemail message.

Try something like: “Hi, you’ve reached [Your Name]. I’m sorry I missed your call. Please leave me a detailed message and I’ll return your message as soon as possible. Thanks!”

13. Charge Your Phone and Do a Test Run

You definitely should make sure your phone is at full battery going in—because no one wants a dropped call. An hour or so before your interview is scheduled to start, also make sure it’s working properly and the signal is OK by calling up a friend or family member and asking if they can hear you all right.

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