January 16

Phone Interview Tips – #20: Ask Questions

Finding a Job, Getting Hired, 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, Questions to Ask at an Interview, Questions to Ask During an Interview, Questions to Ask Interviewer, Questions To Ask On An Interview

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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.

In every interview, whether it’s a phone interview or a face-to-face interview, it is absolutely, critically important to ask questions.  Why?

(1) It makes you seem more engaged and interested in the job.  No hiring manager wants to hire someone who isn’t going to be excited about working there.

(2) It makes you seem more intelligent—if you ask good questions.  Don’t ask questions you could easily find the answers to on Google.

(3) It gives you a strategic advantage.  Ask good questions, and you can easily find out what the interviewer really cares about.

So what should you do?  What questions should you ask?

Prepare your list of questions before the interview.

phone interview tipsThe key to success here is to prepare your questions ahead of time—don’t try to come up with them all on the fly.  You probably will think of a question or two during the conversation you hadn’t thought of, and that’s OK.  But it’s also likely that you could freeze up and not be able to think of a thing.

Come up with good questions, and make a list for yourself to keep in front of you as notes during your meeting (cheat sheets).  They can’t see you, so that gives you a lot of freedom.  Take advantage of it.  Just try not to sound like you’re reading a list of questions.  Work them into the conversation naturally.

What questions should you ask during the phone interview?

The questions to ask in a phone interview are very close to what you’d ask in a face-to-face.  Here are 4 great questions:

  • What does your ideal candidate look like?  I love this question…the answer gives you a blueprint of what they want to hire.  Explain how your skills and background match that blueprint, and you’ve got a fantastic shot at the job.
  • Why is the last person who was in this role leaving the job?  If they were promoted, finding out what they were promoted to would be helpful.  You could also follow up with a question about why they were so great at the job.  If they were fired, the reason why might tell you a lot, too.
  • What are this position’s biggest challenges?  You need to know their biggest problems so you can talk about how you can solve them.
  • From what you’ve told me, it sounds like I’d be a great fit and I am very interested.  When can we schedule a time for me to come in and discuss this further?  This is a technique called closing.  You’re asking for the next step.  It shows your enthusiasm and interest, and it shows that you’re a good communicator.

Questions like these uncover information that you can’t get anywhere else. They show your professionalism and interest in the job, and they move you forward another step in the process.  Ask these kinds of questions and you’ll have a great phone interview.

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Got a big interview coming up? Let’s make sure you’re ready to ace it with 1:1 coaching or group coaching classes!

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