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Phone Interview? Don’t forget to ask these seven key questions.

If you’ve gotten to the phone interview portion of the process, pat yourself on the back: It’s sometimes just one step away from an in-person interview, or at least a next phone interview with more top brass. Now, while you may certainly partake in the phone interview in your comfiest jammies or a suit to get yourself into character, the fact remains that the phone interview marks the first time someone at your desired place of work will get to hear your voice — and you need to prepare just as carefully as if you were sitting face to face. And be sure to ask the seven questions listed to get quality information for yourself and present yourself as a quality hire to the interviewer.

A few tips to preparing:

  • Know your potential position and how you fit it.  It really comes down to this: Your potential employer has a problem that needs to be solved. So ask yourself this key question: How can I solve that problem? What skills and experience do I have that fills the company’s need? If you can answer this, you can confidently present yourself as a needed employee. It also helps to have your resume, the job description, and your application (if you can access it) in front of you.
  • Learn about the company. Once you get the interview, find out as much as you can about your potential future employer. Goals and objectives? Their market? Do you know anyone who works there who could give you some insight? Aside from examining the employer’s website, check them out on social media: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter. Look to see if they’ve been in the news lately. This will help you learn about the latest plans and innovations.
  • You do need to practice! Sit down with a friend or family member who can fairly observe and help you with your speaking skills or record yourself speaking. By practicing (and looking up some of the most commonly asked interview questions and how best to answer them), you’ll feel more relaxed and ready when the real interview happens. Get to the point where you feel you can answer comfortably but not sound too rehearsed.
  • Smile. You may think this sounds too simple or silly to be true, but it’s the key to success during a phone interview!  Smiling while on the phone will help you sound more active, alert and upbeat, making a positive impression on the interviewer.

On that note, ask these questions of your interviewer; as mentioned, you’ll come off as truly interested in the position and the company, and it makes you look more polished if you have questions at the ready.

  1. What do you view as the most challenging part of this job?
  2. How would you describe the responsibilities of this position?
  3. What do you see ahead for your company in the next five years?
  4. How do you prefer to communicate with the staff?
  5. How does “X” [the most important part of work you’ll be responsible for] get done here?
  6. What is the first duty the person you hire needs to attend to?
  7. What do you like best about working here?

These sorts of questions show that you’re interested in the position and get you information about the inner workings of the company; the responses give you an idea of the atmosphere you’ll be working in. Knowledge is power — always have questions to ask and be prepared to answer those an interviewer will have.

For more help on how best to prepare, reach out to the experienced recruiting team at PrideStaff Thousand Oaks today! They can help you prepare to ace your next interview.

 

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