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Phone Interview Tips - #29: Things You Should Never Say

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Things you should never say in a phone interview We all spend a lot of time talking about what you should say in phone interviews—how to answer interview questions, how to sell yourself for the job, how to ask questions of your own. But have you ever considered what NOT to say in your phone interview?

Sometimes what you don’t say is just as important as what you do say.

Here are several things you should never say in a phone interview.

“What does your company do?”

The only time this would ever be acceptable is if you are surprised by a telephone interview sneak attack that you could not have known about beforehand—in other words, they call you up out of the blue and want to conduct your interview right there, right then. Otherwise, you’ve got some time to prepare. Use it to research the company and find out what they do. Then you can focus your conversation on how you would be a great addition to their organization.

“Can you hang on while I take this call?”

This phone call is THE most important conversation you could possibly be having right now. Never allow other callers to interrupt. In fact, turn off call waiting, text alerts, or anything else that might beep and distract you during this call.

“I’m worried about….”

Even if you’re very concerned about some factor in this new job (the commute, the transition, the hours, whatever), never ever bring it up in the phone interview. It’s just too soon. Bringing up something negative too early just makes you look negative. I’ve seen firsthand how fast job seekers get knocked out of consideration by bringing up problems before they should.

“What’s the salary range for this position?”

Never, ever bring up money at any point in the interview process—not until you have an offer in your hand.

“How much vacation time would I get?”

Nothing more clearly says, “What’s in it for me?” than asking about benefits and perks too early in the conversation. That’s always a bad move. The job interview is a sales process—you are the product and the sales rep. That interviewer is your customer. Your job is to “sell” them on the idea of hiring you—which means your focus must be on what’s in it for them. Once you’ve convinced them that you are the right person to hire, then you can talk about what you’re getting out of it—and you can decide if you’re interested or not at that point.

Phone Interview Tips - List

Tips 1- 37 Click to expand

Phone Interview - Tip 1 -- Check Your Voicemail Greeting
Phone Interview - Tip 2 -- The Best Time to Set Up Your Call
Phone Interview - Tip 3 -- Where’s the Best Place for a Phone Interview?
Phone Interview - Tip 4 -- How To Keep Your Focus
Phone Interview - Tip 5 -- How to Build Your Confidence
Phone Interview - Tip 6 -- How to Project Enthusiasm
Phone Interview - Tip 7 -- Use Cheat Sheets
Phone Interview - Tip 8 -- Research the Interviewer
Phone Interview - Tip 9 -- Research the Company
Phone Interview - Tip 10 -- Prepare Answers to Common Phone Interview Questions
Phone Interview - Tip 11 -- Practice Your Phone Interview
Phone Interview - Tip 12 -- How to Hit Your Phone Interview Goals
Phone Interview - Tip 13 -- The Best Phone for Your Phone Interview
Phone Interview - Tip 14 -- Your Phone Interview Voice
Phone Interview - Tip 15 -- How to Give the Interviewer What They’re Looking For
Phone Interview - Tip 16 -- How to Project the Right Image Over the Phone
Phone Interview - Tip 17 -- Help Them Qualify You for the Face-to-Face Interview
Phone Interview - Tip 18 -- Speak the Right Body Language
Phone Interview - Tip 19 -- Secret Tricks to Phone Interview Success
Phone Interview - Tip 20 -- Ask Questions
Phone Interview - Tip 21 -- How to Listen Well
Phone Interview - Tip 22 -- Don’t Talk Too Much
Phone Interview - Tip 23 -- Watch Your Language
Phone Interview - Tip 24 -- Phone Interview Etiquette
Phone Interview - Tip 25 -- Getting the Face-to-Face Interview
Phone Interview - Tip 26 -- How and When to Follow Up
Phone Interview - Tip 27 -- Biggest Phone Interview Mistakes
Phone Interview - Tip 28 -- Small Phone Interview Mistakes That Cause Big Problems
Phone Interview - Tip 29 -- Things You Should Never Say
Phone Interview - Tip 30 -- Make a Phone Interview Checklist
Phone Interview - Tip 31 -- Relax, Be Calm, and Make a Good Impression
Phone Interview - Tip 32 -- Good Telephone Communication Tips
Phone Interview - Tip 33 -- Typical Phone Interview Questions
Phone Interview - Tip 34 -- Thank You Notes
Phone Interview - Tip 35 -- The One Question You Should Ask
Phone Interview - Tip 36 -- How to Keep Them From Screening You Out
Phone Interview - Tip 37 -- How to Prepare for a Phone Interview

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