Tips on Acing a Phone Interview
The increasing competition for respiratory therapy jobs around the country has meant more applications for every open position. That means many busy department managers are looking for a solution to expedite the hiring process. Telephone interviews have become one solution.
After culling through the applications to find those that might be a good fit, many managers are scheduling brief telephone interviews. This helps them wean the candidate list down to a manageable number for in-person interviews.
Sometimes these initial interviews are conducted by the hiring manager, while in other cases, the manager delegates the task to HR. Either way, if you’re looking for a job today, chances are good your first interview will be not face-to-face, but phone-to-phone.
Here are some tips on acing a phone interview –
Be on time: You wouldn’t want to be late for a face-to-face interview, and you don’t want to be late for a phone interview either. If your call is scheduled for 3 p.m., have your phone in hand by 2:45.
Keep it quiet: With that cell in your purse or pocket you can make calls from anywhere, but a phone interview is best conducted in a quiet place where there won’t be any interruptions. Don’t do it at work, don’t do it at your son’s soccer game, and don’t do it while driving.
Disable call waiting: Again, you don’t want any interruptions.
Ditch the speakerphone: The person on the other end of the line can tell when you’ve put him or her on speaker, and their first thought will be, “What else is this guy doing right now?” Give the interviewer your undivided attention by going old school, with phone to ear.
First impressions count: When you answer the phone, be professional but friendly and be sure to thank the interviewer for taking the time to talk to you about the position. Quickly state your interest in the job and why you’re excited about the opportunity to work at the facility.
Do your homework: While it’s easy to think the phone interview isn’t as important as the face-to-face, prepare for it as if you’ll be walking into someone’s office rather than chatting on the phone. Go to the hospital website to learn more about the facility and read their recent press releases to see what’s new. And look up the department manager and other key staff on LinkedIn to get a feel for their experience and background in the profession.
Be ready for anything: Most phone interviews only last about 20-30 minutes, so have some short answers prepared to the kinds of questions you believe you will be asked. But for each of those answers, you should also have some additional points on your list, in case the interviewer asks you to be more specific, or elaborate on your initial answer. It’s always better to have more information than you’ll need than not enough, because some phone interviews (especially if they decide they like you for the job) can run much longer than average.
Set the stage for step two: As the interview winds down, once again thank the interviewer for her time and let her know you are ready, willing, and able to come in to the department and learn more about the position. Follow up with a thank-you note restating the key points you covered in the interview and reaffirming your interest in the position.
