January 9

Phone Interview Tips – #14: Your Phone Interview Voice

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

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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.

You might not think about the quality of your voice before your phone interview—but you should.  Interviewers concentrate very hard on your voice in that conversation:  Do you sound alert?  Confident?  Enthusiastic?  Are there any red flags they need to be worrying about?  They just don’t have that much to judge you on when you’re on the phone, so they focus on what they can—the words you say, how you say them, and the sound of your voice.

Warm Up Your Voice Before the Interview

An hour or so before your interview, talk to someone else to warm up your voice.  It’s sort of like warming up before you work out.  You want to hit your speaking stride for that conversation, not sound scratchy or worse—sleepy, when you talk.

If you like to sing, you can even do that.  Choose a song that pumps you up and makes you feel fantastic so it not only warms up your voice, but ramps up your energy level before the call.

Get a Glass of Water

Bring a glass of water with you to have close-by during your interview.  Every so often you can take a quick drink to keep your voice smooth.  Just remember—do NOT put ice in your water.  The clinking of ice in your glass will sound very loud to the person you’re speaking with and might even make them think you’re drinking Scotch on the rocks instead of plain water.

Watch Your Tone

In phone interviews, they only have your voice to make judgments about your personality.  Use the time before the interview to either do a practice phone call with someone or record yourself answering some interview questions so you can see how you sound.  Aim for positive, upbeat, energetic, and enthusiastic.  You don’t have to be Perky Pamela if that’s not your natural personality, but remember that this interview could be the beginning of a beautiful new job.  That’s a good thing, and you should act like it.

Speak Smoothly

phone interview tips

Before the interview, practice your answers to common interview questions so you don’t stammer.  Uncertainty in your voice really stands out on the phone when that’s all they’re paying attention to.  Even simply taking too much time to think before your answer can sound like uncertainty.  Sometimes you will have to stop and put your thoughts together before you answer, and that’s OK, but don’t do it every time.  Have a few answers ready to roll off your tongue.  And make sure you’re not using irritating speech fillers like “um” and “uh.”  Even silence is better than those.

Don’t Shoot Yourself in the Foot

Don’t make obvious mistakes during your telephone interview that will interfere with your speaking.  That means: don’t smoke, don’t eat, don’t chew gum, and don’t slurp coffee.  Any sounds of slurping, smacking, or breathing heavy will give them a very bad impression of you.

Got a big phone interview coming up? Let’s make sure you’re ready with a half-hour of coaching!

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