A lot of people do not take telephonic interviews very seriously; nobody have to be in professional clothes, look their best, face the hiring manager or drive all the way to the company’s office for the interview. But, a phone interview is not as easy as it may sound. There are equal chances of you blowing a telephonic interview as you can blow a face-to-face interview. You need to make sure that you avoid the following few mistakes while giving an interview on call with the prospective employer :
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Not Researching Well About the Company
Research is the first thing you need to do as soon as you are informed about the interview. The employer may think you are not interested in the job if you sound least bothered about the company and its details. Suppose you’re applying to a dissertation writing firm, and you get an interview call from them. You won’t be able to respond to their queries well if you haven’t done your research.Therefore, research the company well so you may ask and answer questions accordingly.
1. Bad Communication Skills
Among many other things, the hiring managers look for exceptional communication skills. It is very important to be able to explain yourself well during an interview and clear your points effectively, both of which are not quite possible if you lack good communication skills. The skill becomes all the more important if the job duties include being a team member. Keep following things in mind while giving the interview :
- Whatever you are asked, reply confidently.
- Keep a straight posture by sitting in a good chair or stand up while talking.
- Talk slowly and not in a hurry.
- Nobody likes mumbling. You can be silent while you take time to think and reply but do not, at any cost, say ‘it’s like..’ or ‘ummm..’.
2. Engaging In Lengthy Conversations And Replies
You may have studied in school, went to high school, attended college or university, volunteered or did a small internship but the hiring manager taking interview on the call does not need to know all the details and long stories. Your life would have been a roller coaster but you need to keep in mind that the employer has very little or no interest in your stories. Usually phone interviews last for 20 or 30 minutes, and you surely do not want to run out of time by talking unnecessarily.
3. Using Wrong Tone During The Phone Interview
Employers can see your attitude, facial expressions, emotions and body language while you sit in front of them during an interview whereas the phone interviews only leave the impression of your tone and how you reply to the questions. Always try to sound friendly by using the nicest tone on the call because even if you are not talking in a rude tone, the person on the other end may perceive it that way since he cannot see your facial expressions.
4. Sitting At A Place Full Of Distractions
Find a place that is quiet and clear of all kinds of distractions to have a telephonic interview. Make sure you are not sitting close to a baby who can cry any moment, no kitchen sounds at the back, no traffic noises and no pets around. Also, turn off the call waiting option in your phone as the beep may distract you during an interview. You may be good at multitasking but as far as a phone interview is concerned, you may lose focus on even the smallest distraction.
Giving a successful phone interview is no rocket science. You just have to be careful and not make any of the mentioned mistakes. Apart from everything else, make sure that you always keep a notepad while giving such an interview. You might want to note down some details or brief notes for future correspondence with the same interviewer.