The First Formal Phone Interview

For most job seekers, this will be their first realand job qualification questions. Be prepared to answer
interview. All types of questions are possible and youmore fully questions about your resume and how your
will be interviewed by members of the hiring team. Youskills fit the job description. When answering each
will receive follow-up questions based on your resumequestion, be sure to drive home your strengths and if
and possible job qualification questions and, you willappropriate, provide them with some of the company
most likely receive behavioral questions for the firstinformation you have learned.
time in the interview process. To help prepare for this3. Make the interview a conversation. Try to turn the
interview, we have some additional tips:interview into a conversation. Recognize the
1. Began preparing for Behavioral Interview Questions.interviewer(s) will have ask some questions, but there
Since behavioral questions will begin to take on a largeris no reason why it can't take on a warm and
aspect with this interview, it is important to allocate aconversational tone. Be warm and cheerful throughout
good part of your preparation time to answer thosethe interview and you will more likely win over the
questions. To do this to the fullest:a. Make a list ofinterviewer. Remember this is not an interrogation, it is
possible job skills from your job description.b. Make twoa conversation.
positive examples from your work or education4. Get interviewer contact information for thank you
experience that show how you have a certain jobletters. As always, get their contact information during
skill.c. Make two negative examples from your work orthe interview so you can send them a thank you letter
education experience that show how you have usedand also ask them when you can expect to hear from
certain job skill.d. Go back over the examples and fillthem regarding the next round of the interview
them in with as much content detail you can find andprocess.
remember. It is best to find actual numbers and know5. Tell them you want the position. If nothing else, tell
dates and timelines.e. Practice your answers to thesethem you want the position. Even if you are not that
behavioral questions for each job skill by stating theseinterested in the position, make it clear to them you
examples. As you practice these examples, adjustwant the job by specifically stating it. Do not assume
your answers to make them sound more professionalthey will figure it out. If they know you want the job,
and clear-cut. Ultimately, you want to make it sothey are more likely to give you the benefit of the
someone who knows nothing about your field woulddoubt when deciding whether to advance you to the
be able to follow it and you also want to have enoughnext round.
facts available that you can satisfactorily answerWith these phone interview tips, you should have the
follow-up questions.f. For the negative examples,knowledge to help get you to the on-site interviews.
choose ones that are minor issues. In addition, makeSummary:
sure you take responsibility for what happened. Do notA job interview can be a challenging experience
blame others for the problem. Merely state this is whatwhere you are asked all types of different questions
happened and how you addressed the issue or whatthat at first can seem like a personal interrogation. To
you would do differently now. Bottom line is that byhelp you fight back, we have put together a list of the
preparing for these negative behavioral questions, youdifferent types of job interview questions. Armed with
will help ensure to put your best face forward.this information, you should be well on your way to
2. Be ready for follow-up questions on resume- relatedtaking back control over the interview.