Even before the economy soured, telephone interviews were becoming prevalent as a hiring practice.  Office politics and governmental regulations often demanded that managers give a voice to applicants whose resumes painted them as anything other than perfect fits for the available positions.  Telephone interviews became an expedient means of separating the wheat from the chaff.  The wheat that did emerge (viable candidates) was subsequently granted the more time-consumptive and in-depth interviews.   Employers now facing a gut of applicants do not have the luxury of granting face-to-face interviews to every single candidate.  Thus, the telephone interview has gained even more significance in this tightened economy.

Here is our tried-and-true advice for appearing the type of wheat that employers wish to see sprouting from their company soil.

1. Ensure that your contact information, as per your resume and cover letter, are correct.  If you are unemployed and list only your home phone, you may miss opportunities.  If you don’t own or can’t afford a cell phone, be sure to at least include an alternate number on your career documents (i.e., the number of a trusted friend or family member who will accurately record employers’ messages for you and alert you of them in a timely manner).  Needless to say, return all calls promptly.  And before you do, set the stage for productive interviews.
2. Remove all distractions.  These include your screaming toddler, your hard-rock loving teen, the incessantly blaring TV, and your husband, who needs a road map (that would be you) to locate anything edible in a well-stocked fridge.  Telephone interviews are usually scheduled, so you’ll have plenty of time to arrange for a babysitter, send the teen to the mall, unplug the TV, and make a sandwich for your hubby. Better yet, tell him to make his own while you concentrate on the job-at-hand that will impact the family’s finances.
3. If you are going to speak on a cordless phone, be sure that it’s well charged.  If you think you may need a new battery, invest in one before the interview.  If your annoying neighbors are out riding their lawn mowers and blowing their leaves just before your interview, close all doors and windows to reduce the background noise.  In fact, your best strategy is to have a place of your own, perhaps a home office, from which to speak with the potential employer.
4. Do your research.  At the very least, know the company’s mission and their product or service line.  If the interview has been arranged for you by a recruiter, do not skip this step with the self-defeating thinking that it’s the headhunter’s job to do the research for you.  Thus armed, you will be able to speak more intelligently to the potential employer.
5. Don’t conduct the interview in your ratty sweats or PJ’s.  The way you perceive yourself during an interview will translate over the phone.  You don’t need to don a suit, but please, look presentable.  Ensure that your clothing is clean, ironed, and in good condition.  Men, please shave for the occasion.  Ladies, a sweep of mascara and a dab of lip gloss go a long way in the self-esteem department.  Sit up straight, like your mother taught you, so you sound more professional.  Slump and the tendency will be higher to slur your words or use slang: both of which will be the kiss of death during the screening process.
6. Take a deep breath and smile at yourself in the mirror.  Tell your reflection why you are a great candidate for this job; review your skill sets as well as your cooperative personality and ability to embrace new challenges.  Good mental/emotional preparation is key to a fruitful dialogue.
7. Have your resume, cover letter, and any other relevant documents at hand.  Use your full name to introduce yourself and thank the interviewer immediately for his or her time.  Do not use his or her first name.  This is a business meeting, so the proper salutations are Mr., Ms., Miss, or Mrs. If you are unsure of a female manager’s marital status, Ms. covers all the bases.
8. Be prepared to answer all manner of questions related as well as unrelated to the open position. Questions are opportunities for employers to learn more about you, so sell yourself properly; talk about your accomplishments as well as your core competencies.
9. Close like a pro.  At the end of the conversation, thank the individual once again for having given you the opportunity to speak to him or her, and express your enthusiasm for the open position.
10. Follow up with a thank you letter.  This one simple act will present you as a serious, professional candidate.

Now, charge your phone and full speed ahead!

Given the need to run leaner and meaner in an increasingly competitive environment, career professionals have streamlined the interviewing process.   Essentially a process of elimination for both interviewer and job candidate, it is no longer “business as usual” to conduct a first or sometimes even a second interview in person.  Instead, the telephone has become the medium through which a job candidate makes an initial, direct impression upon the recruiter or employer.

A calm, confident, and professional telephone demeanor infers that you conduct yourself in a similar manner in business settings.  In order to convey this image, be prepared.  Once you have submitted your resume, cover letter, and any other required documents to the headhunter or prospective employer, presume that you will receive responses via telephone.

To prepare for these, you can practice by recording yourself during a mock interview in which a friend or family member can assume the role of the hiring manager.  Playbacks will reveal the deficiencies in your delivery that you will want to correct.  I warn you that listening to how you actually sound on the telephone may be rather disconcerting.  However, the more simulated interviews in which you participate, the better you will sound and the more comfortable you will be during the actual screening process.

Make sure that the message on your answering machine reflects your professional character.  Change any inappropriate greetings (and I believe that you know those of which I speak).

Have your resume handy as well as any information concerning the company and the position you desire.  An applicant who does not have these essentials immediately at hand runs the risk of sounding ill-equipped and even appearing disinterested in the job.  If you need to hang a small corkboard by your telephone to manage your information, do so.  This corkboard should not be used by other members of your family as a forum for posting reminders, bills, or children’s artwork; its sole purpose is to facilitate the interview for you.

Similarly, the interruptions of family members and background sounds such as TV’s, stereos, or pets are not conducive to productive telephone interviews.  A telephone extension placed in a quiet area of your home will provide you with the privacy that you require.  Please note that a landline is preferable to a cell phone for purposes of interviewing.  If you do not have a landline in your residence, perhaps you can arrange to call the employer at a pre-arranged time rather than awaiting the employer’s call.  In that way, you might make arrangements to use a landline of a friend or family member for the conversation.

If the interview has been scheduled for a specific time, be sure to take care of other matters beforehand so that you will not be distracted during your dialogue with the recruiter or employer.  Even if the call is unscheduled, adherence to the suggestions above will facilitate your projection of poise and professionalism that may lead to a personal interview and an offer of employment.