| Sometimes a Telephone Interview can be simply a | | | | Be sure to have all your research available to you. |
| screening interview and sometimes it is a real | | | | Notes about points you want to make could be in front |
| full-blown interview as important as a face-to-face | | | | of you or pinned to the wall. Monitor your voice - we all |
| interview. | | | | tend to talk at a higher pitch or faster speed when |
| Screening Interview | | | | under pressure. A deep breath can bring your voice |
| If it is a screening interview, is will probably be short - | | | | back to a more pleasant pitch. |
| 10 - 15 minutes -and will be conducted by someone in | | | | A small mirror next to the phone can give you a way |
| Human Resources or someone on the administrative | | | | of checking to make sure you are smiling. You |
| staff of the hiring department. The purpose of this | | | | definitely come across as more pleasant at the other |
| interview is threefold. | | | | end of the line if there is a smile on your face. You will |
| First, it is designed to fill in any gaps between the job | | | | also sound more alert and professional if you are |
| requirements and your resume. If you look like a pretty | | | | sitting erect. Or, borrow a tip from many radio |
| good candidate but your resume doesn't reflect a skill | | | | personalities, they do their shows on their feet. It gives |
| that they would like to have, the screening interview is | | | | their diaphragm more resonance and their lungs more |
| to check whether you do in fact have that skill and it | | | | space to expand. |
| just didn't get on your resume. | | | | A couple of technical tips |
| Second, is to make sure that you can communicate in | | | | If you don't have caller i.d., get it. Don't allow yourself to |
| a professional manner. Your telephone presence will | | | | be surprised into an impromptu interview that you are |
| tell them if you pass the first hurdle of professional | | | | not prepared for. You can always call them back |
| presence. | | | | within the hour and set up another time to talk. |
| Third, is to schedule the first real interview, either in | | | | Your voice mail message needs to be brief and |
| person or on the phone. | | | | business-like and in your voice. And if you have |
| Full blown Interview | | | | children who might answer the home phone, use a |
| In an increasingly virtual business world, the first "real" | | | | second home line or your cell phone as the primary |
| interview is frequently by telephone. This means less | | | | contact in your career search. |
| time commitment on everyone's part and has the | | | | A final addition is a good headset - it will save you a |
| added benefit of determining how you will handle things | | | | crook in your neck, keep your hands free to look for |
| like virtual staff meetings and plugging into remote | | | | information or make notes, and allow you to move |
| work teams. | | | | with ease around the room. By the way, the door to |
| Give this interview as much care and as much | | | | the room is closed, isn't it? Barking dogs or screaming |
| importance as you would a face-to-face interview. | | | | kids in the background don't exactly lead to a |
| The interviewer certainly will. It will usually be at a | | | | professional atmosphere. |
| pre-scheduled time and last 20 - 45 minutes. | | | | |