How to Prepare for a Telephone Job Interview

If you have just been notified that you will be interviewed for a job by telephone, don't panic. With a little preparation you can have a successful telephone interview.

Prepare your telephone interview area: Find a quiet area where you will not be disturbed. Your interviewer can only base his opinion of you on what he or she hears as they cannot see you in person. Make sure they do not hear any distracting sounds. Make sure television and radio is turned off. Ask someone to watch your children during the interview. Keep pets away from the interview area. In addition to barks and meows, pets have a way of disconnecting telephone lines and walking across keyboards at the most inopportune moments. Turn off loud machines such as dishwashers, washing machines, dryers and fans.

Designate a desk or table as your interview area and clear it off completely. Gather the following items and place them on the desk or table: Notepad, your resume, a copy of the job description or job posting that you are applying for. A printout of the history and facts about the company you are applying for. The name, position and telephone number of the person who will be interviewing you. Two or three pens in case one fails. A telephone that plugs directly into the wall is preferable to one that is cordless and requires a battery. It looks irresponsible for the battery to fail during a call. Turn off your call waiting feature on the phone if you have it. Turn off your cell phone so that it does not ring during the call.

Try to anticipate some questions the interviewer may ask and write down your answers ahead of time. Here are some common telephone interview questions and suggestions for how to best answer them:

1. Tell me a little bit about yourself. Briefly summarize. For example, "I'm a Florida native and I have been a project manager for the last 5 years. I supervise a staff of 5 persons." Do not say anything personal like I have 3 kids, 2 dogs and a mortgage. Keep it business.