14 Phone Interview Tips to Help You Stand Out
When you’re applying for a job, companies will often conduct a phone interview after you submit an application but before they invite you to meet for an in-person interview. This important step in the hiring process helps weed out the unqualified applicants from those who have the potential to get the job, so it’s not a step you want to take lightly.
Here, we’ll explain what to expect during a phone interview and share 14 tips for impressing your interviewer and making it to the next round.
What to expect in a phone interview
In most organizations, the purpose of your first phone interview is to determine whether you meet the minimum requirements of the job and have what it takes to be considered further. If it’s a mid-size to large company, this conversation may take place with a recruiter or a member of the HR team rather than the hiring manager.
A phone interview typically lasts around 30 minutes. During that time, you can expect basic questions on your skills, background, and goals, like:
- Tell me about yourself.
- Why are you interested in this job?
- What do you know about the company?
- What skills do you have that make you a strong fit?
- Tell me about your experience with X.
A phone interview is typically a prelude to an in-person interview, unless something makes meeting face to face impractical, like being located on the other side of the country. If this is the case, you may have an initial phone interview followed by a virtual interview in lieu of meeting in person.
Need help crafting answers to common interview questions? Check out our extensive interview question and answer guide to ensure you impress the hiring manager!
Phone interview tips to get you to the next round
1. Have a polished voicemail message
When was the last time you changed your outgoing voicemail message? Do you even know what it says? Now is a good time to check and refine it if necessary.
If the interviewer calls at the wrong time or your phone unexpectedly sends the call to voicemail, the last thing you want is for them to reach a message from five years ago where you’re jokingly singing into the phone or doing anything else that comes across as unprofessional. A simple “You’ve reached [Your Name]. Sorry I missed you. Please leave a message.” will do the trick.
2. Set aside a dedicated interview space
Don’t just take the call wherever you happen to be when the phone rings. Prepare to be somewhere quiet and free of distractions, and ensure that it has strong cellular reception or WiFi service. Make sure your phone is fully charged, and have a glass of water, pen, and paper handy.
3. Prepare beforehand
Coming into the interview prepared is one of the best ways to make a good impression on an interviewer. Set aside 15 to 20 minutes before your interview time to prepare.
Review the job description and your resume, preparing to talk about how you meet the required qualifications. Glance over the company’s website to refresh your memory of their values and business goals. Go over the most important attributes you want to emphasize and rehearse your answers to the most common interview questions.
Related: How to Prepare for a Phone Interview Checklist
4. Look up the person you’ll be talking to
Before the interview, find out the name of the person you’ll be speaking with. Note that this may be a different person than the one who reached out to schedule the interview. Look them up on LinkedIn or use Google to find out their title and role within the company. This knowledge can help you shape your answers most beneficially.
You may find it useful to pull up your interviewer’s LinkedIn profile just before your interview and have their photo on your computer screen. Though it might sound slightly creepy, it can help you envision speaking with a real person and not just a disembodied voice, leading to a more engaging conversation.
5. Have talking points handy
One huge advantage of a phone interview is that since you can’t be seen, you can use reference materials to help you formulate the best answers. Have your resume readily available, and consider highlighting keywords and phrases you want to work into your responses. It’s also useful to create a list of your strongest skills and any noteworthy achievements in your career thus far that are relevant to the job.
Though it’s never advisable to read directly from a script, you might wish to write out answers to questions that could trip you up, like “Why are you leaving your current job?” or “What are your salary expectations?” Having the answer in front of you will give you something to fall back on if your mind goes blank or you get choked up.
6. Prepare 1-2 specific anecdotes
Specific details are what make you memorable and set you apart from the many other candidates your interviewer is likely speaking with. Think of one or two personal anecdotes you can tell that demonstrate your capabilities while being versatile enough to be used for more than one question.
For example, a story about how you led your intern group in conducting market research by designing an interactive survey could be used to answer multiple questions, like “What experience has prepared you for this role?” or “Describe a time you demonstrated leadership.”
7. Demonstrate your value
Whenever possible, focus on what value you have to offer the employer versus just spouting off your positive attributes. So, instead of saying you’re great at time management, say that you handled scheduling and appointment reminders for a roster of 100 clients. Instead of saying you’re skilled in Excel, explain how you used it to create an estimate generator that saves sales reps hours of work each week.
8. Be enthusiastic
Enthusiasm will get you far and help you overcome any stumbles you have during in the interview. However, since the interviewer can’t see your face or read your body language, conveying your enthusiasm may require you to be a little more animated than usual. Though it may feel silly, smiling as you give your answers gives your voice a positive, confident tone that can communicate your excitement about the position.
9. Speak slowly and clearly
Once again, one of the challenges of not being able to see you is that if an interviewer misses a word or two of one of your answers, they may completely miss your meaning. Ensure that your statements come across clearly by enunciating and speaking at a steady, measured pace. If you’re a fast talker, practice slowing down by recording yourself rehearsing some of your answers before the interview takes place.
10. Give the conversation room to breathe
Speaking over the phone instead of face to face means there’s a greater likelihood of you and the interviewer interrupting one another and unintentionally cutting each other off. Minimize these conversational hiccups by pausing for a couple seconds between when they finish asking a question and when you start answering.
Don’t get uncomfortable if there are a few moments of silence after you finish an answer. Avoid the urge to keep talking just to fill the silence, which can lead to rambling, and instead wait calmly for the next question.
11. Feel free to move
Since you’re in a private space, unseen, you have the benefit of moving around however it’s most comfortable for you. Don’t force yourself to sit at a desk if you feel more energetic standing up. Get up, pace around your kitchen, make hand gestures, or whatever helps you say what you want to say effectively.
12. Prepare to state your salary expectations
Though it may feel strange to talk about compensation this early in the hiring process, asking about a candidate’s salary requirements is a common step to make sure it’s appropriate to move you to the next round. So, you want to be prepared to discuss it (though you shouldn’t bring it up yourself if this is the first interview).
At this initial stage, giving a salary range you’re comfortable with is a good strategy. This confirms whether you’re aligned with the employer’s offering while still leaving room to negotiate if you receive an offer. If a salary range is not explicitly listed in the job description, research to figure out a reasonable market rate for someone with your level of experience in this role and location.
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13. Ask about next steps
You’ll want to save most of your nitty-gritty questions about things like team culture and development opportunities for when you speak to the hiring manager. Still, coming prepared with a question or two to demonstrate your interest is a good idea.
One good question to ask in a phone interview is what the next steps look like. This communicates your continued investment in the process while giving you some intel about how long you might expect to wait before hearing back.
14. Follow up with a thank you note
Shortly after your interview, email the person you spoke with to thank them for their time. Express that you enjoyed the conversation and reiterate that you’re excited to be considered for the opportunity.
Aside from being professional etiquette, sending a thank you message gives you one more chance to put your name in front of the interviewer and help them remember you positively. We have a full guide to writing a thank you note after a phone interview here.
By demonstrating professionalism, showing up prepared, communicating clearly, and giving answers that demonstrate how you’d bring value to the role, you can cement your spot on an interviewer’s shortlist and advance from the phone interview to the next round of the hiring process.
