January 7

Phone Interview Tips #10 – Prepare Answers to Common Phone Interview Questions

Finding a Job, Getting Hired, How to Answer Interview Questions, Interviewing Skills and Tips, Job Interview Advice, Job Interview Preparation, Job Interview Questions and Answers, Job Interview Skills, Job Search, Job Search Success, Job Search Tips, Jobseekers, Phone Interview Questions, Phone Interview Tips, Phone Interviews

0  comments

Share0
Tweet0
Share0
Share0
Tweet0
Share0

You always want to prepare answers for common interview questions before every interview.  If you occasionally have to stop and think a bit before you give an answer, that’s OK–but if you constantly have a deer-in-the-headlights look in your eyes, it will be painfully obvious that you’re unprepared for the interview and you don’t care that much about getting the job.  They can’t see your blank, panicked eyes in the phone interview, but those long pauses can also be pretty damaging.

Phone Interview Tips Series

Table of Contents

Phone Interview Tips 1-10
  1. Phone Interview Tip #1 -- Check Your Voicemail Greeting

  2. Phone Interview Tip #2 -- The Best Time to Set Up Your Call

  3. Phone Interview Tip #3 -- Where’s the Best Place for a Phone Interview?

  4. Phone Interview Tip #4 -- How To Keep Your Focus

  5. Phone Interview Tip #5 -- How to Build Your Confidence

  6. Phone Interview Tip #6 -- How to Project Enthusiasm

  7. Phone Interview Tip #7 -- Use Cheat Sheets

  8. Phone Interview Tip #8 -- Research the Interviewer

  9. Phone Interview Tip #9 -- Research the Company

  10. Phone Interview Tip #10 -- Prepare Answers to Common Phone Interview Questions

Phone Interview Tips 11-20
  1. Phone Interview Tip #11 -- Practice Your Phone Interview

  2. Phone Interview Tip #12 -- How to Hit Your Phone Interview Goals

  3. Phone Interview Tip #13 -- The Best Phone for Your Interview

  4. Phone Interview Tip #14 -- Your Phone Interview Voice

  5. Phone Interview Tip #15 -- How to Give the Interviewer What They’re Looking For

  6. Phone Interview Tip #16 -- How to Project the Right Image Over the Phone

  7. Phone Interview Tip #17 -- Help Them Qualify You for the Face-to-Face Interview

  8. Phone Interview Tip #18 -- Speak the Right Body Language (Yes, Even On the Phone)

  9. Phone Interview Tip #19 -- Secret Tricks to Phone Interview Success

  10. Phone Interview Tip #20 -- Ask Questions

Phone Interview Tips 21-30
  1. Phone Interview Tip #21 -- How to Listen Well

  2. Phone Interview Tip #22 -- Don’t Talk Too Much

  3. Phone Interview Tip #23 -- Watch Your Language

  4. Phone Interview Tip #24 -- Phone Interview Etiquette

  5. Phone Interview Tip #25 -- Getting the Face-to-Face Interview

  6. Phone Interview Tip #26 -- How and When to Follow Up

  7. Phone Interview Tip #27 -- Biggest Phone Interview Mistakes

  8. Phone Interview Tip #28 -- Small Phone Interview Mistakes That Cause Big Problems

  9. Phone Interview Tip #29 -- Things You Should Never Say

  10. Phone Interview Tip #30 -- Make a Phone Interview Checklist

Phone Interview Tips 31-37
  1. Phone Interview Tip #31 -- Relax, Be Calm, and Make a Good Impression

  2. Phone Interview Tip #32 -- Good Telephone Communication Tips

  3. Phone Interview Tip #33 -- Typical Phone Interview Questions

  4. Phone Interview Tip #34 -- Thank You Notes

  5. Phone Interview Tip #35 -- The One Question You Should Ask

  6. Phone Interview Tip #36 -- How to Keep Them From Screening You Out

  7. Phone Interview Tip #37 -- How to Prepare for a Phone Interview

Click to expand question sets, then click individual questions to read the article.

Phone interviews lend you a big advantage here.  You can jot down your answers to common questions and have them right in front of you during your interview.  It’s your own personal “cheat sheet” to give you a boost and make sure you don’t forget any key points. Here are a few of the most common phone interview questions, along with a few things to consider including in your answer:

  • “Tell me about yourself.” – This is never an invitation to tell them anything too personal about yourself.  This answer should always focus on your key “selling points”.  What can you highlight about yourself that summarizes why you’re a good fit for this job?
  • “Why are you interested in this job?” – Your company research should give you some pretty good ammunition for answering this question.  You want to tell them why your skills are a good fit, and then give them about 3 reasons why you’d like working at that company.  How will it benefit you personally and professionally?
  • “Why are you leaving your current job?” – Never, ever say anything like, “Because I can’t stand it there anymore.”  You always want to try to be positive in all your job interview answers, even though some questions practically require you to be negative.  Try to answer this question by focusing on why this job appeals to you, rather than why your last one doesn’t anymore.  If you must give a reason, try to choose one that was a factor in your old job that won’t be in this one (location, commute, or something else that’s a “neutral” answer).
  • “What salary are you looking for?” – Some interviewers really will ask you this in the phone interview.  They are trying to find out if they can afford you before they invest a lot of time in you (maybe because you’re overqualified).  Try to avoid answering this one.  If you can’t avoid it, say something like, “I’m sure that you’re offering an appropriate range for this position, and it won’t be a problem.  What range have you budgeted for it?”  (Turning the question back to them is one of my favorite tactics.)

Even though you’re preparing your answers ahead of time, be careful about reading them out loud.  Some people cannot do this naturally and sound like they’re reading something out loud, which is bad.  Either practice ahead of time so you sound smooth and natural, or just write down a few notes and phrases that you can use in your answer.

See more great advice in the rest of my phone interview tips series.

Ace your interviews! Watch my free webinar on Perfect Interview Answers!

Discover the best interview answers, critical mistakes to avoid, and an interview hack that will seal the deal. Interview for any job with confidence!

 Previous
Next

Tags

You may also like

Should you have a career coach?

Should you have a career coach?
{"email":"Email address invalid","url":"Website address invalid","required":"Required field missing"}

Subscribe to our newsletter now!