When I first started posting this blog I began by writing a lot about getting jobs, going to interviews, etcetera. So why am I touching on this again? It's that important. The thing is, as one of the hiring team here I am seeing a real shortage not of just qualified people but of people who know how to write a resume, fill out an application or dress in a professional manner but today it's all about people who know how (or don't know how incidentally) to interview over the phone. Since I've last posted regarding this I have seen a couple of incomplete applications, which as you may assume get tossed in the first round. The second round that gets cut offhand are those who either apply for the wrong position, as in they are applying for "Administrative Assistant" where "Law Enforcement" should apply or those who simply do not even begin to qualify as evidenced by our requirements and their experience and/or education.
But let's talk about something I haven't approached, the phone interview.
Here's some friendly advice on doing a phone interview from a management perspective.
- 1.) Make sure that when they call you that you are okay to talk, if not, no harm, just reschedule a time that is best to call. Try not to do it when you have a 4 year old screaming in your ear.
- 2.) When you reschedule, pick up the phone. Nothing is more irritating than calling at a scheduled time on a scheduled number only to leave a voicemail. This is especially true for a position where there are several hopeful candidates. Our time is valuable.
- 3.) Don't chew gum. Really people, does this need to be explained?
- 4.) Don't eat, see chewing gum.
- 5.) Avoid drinking anything during the conversation.
- 6.) Don't....um....well....use the bathroom. I don't know if this has happened, I'm sure it has, not to me that I know of but I'm sure it has.
- 7.) Do speak clearly and confidently, if we're calling, that means we're interested.
- 8.) Do be friendly.
- 9.) Don't try to tell jokes.
- 10.) Do be open and honest.
- 11.) Don't "go to confession", answer the questions asked, don't tell us about how your old boss sucked or how you have been a victim. Nobody wants someone else's old problems.
- 12.) Do be polite, saying things like your mother used to try to get you to say. For example "yes sir" or "no sir" or "thank you".
- 13.) Don't use technical vernacular or street jargon. Just because you are interviewing for an engineering spot doesn't mean that everyone in the interview process is an engineer. As for street jargon, it should be pretty obvious.
- 14.) Do know who you are talking to. There have been people ask "I'm sorry, who are you with again?" Sometimes more than once.
- 15.) Do know what you said on your resume/application. Contradicting your application or resume is a surefire way to see your way out of a face to face interview.
- 16.) Try to not receive the call on your cell phone unless you are in a quiet spot. Driving down the street is not the best time to talk, as for the McDonald's drive through? Well, you make the call.
- 17.) Do not take the call on the other line during a phone interview. Short of the President of the United States calling you to help Jack Bauer save the universe, it isn't that important.
- 18.) Try to avoid saying "um" a lot. I know it is hard, especially when trying to buy time when working on an answer you are not sure of. If you need to buy time simply say, "let me think about that for a minute", don't repeatedly say "um.....um.....well.....um...."
- 19.) Try not to sound like a valley girl. It is indicative of many young people to have a habit of saying things like...well....er.... "like". For example, "Okay at (like), my last job my boss was (like) a total creep. He said ‘you're fired' and I said (like) whatever, I didn't want this stupid job anyways. He was (like) the biggest creep you know?" Er, yeeaahhh, don't do that okay?
- 20.) Last but not least, don't ask a lot of questions about the interviewer. Questions such as "how long have you worked there" or my favorite "do you like your job" or the all time grand slam daddy of them all "so how is the pay". Really, I'm sure you are very curious about all of this, but resist the urge to ask. It doensn't look good and many of the questions are self explanatory. In this case
A.) The person must like their job enough to be there yet another day. If they didn't do you really think they would confide in you?
B.) The person is getting paid enough to, you guessed it, be there yet another day. If they didn't like their pay, they'd be looking, just like you.
C.) As for how long they have worked there? Well, how about long enough to be doing interviews but not long enough to get someone else to do it for them. That should satiate your curiosity.
Hope this helps and that you noted some of the sarcasm above.
Cajun.