December 18

Phone Interview Tips – #4: How To Keep Your Focus

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.

Does your mind ever wander, even slightly, when you’re on the phone?  I think we’re all a little guilty of that…I mean, it’s not like they can see you, so we very often feel a little more freedom to look around the room or even complete another task while we’re on the phone.  We’re not as visually tied to the person we’re talking to.  In other words, we don’t have to concentrate on looking them in the face while we talk to them…so we mentally wander.

Wandering attention can be a fatal mistake in a phone interview.  You might only have 10 minutes with this person and on that measly 10-minute conversation, they’re going to decide if you’re worth spending an hour with

in a face-to-face.  If you zone out even for a second, you could find yourself in the very awkward spot of not knowing how to respond because you didn’t hear the question, or losing your focus in the middle of an answer.  Then it’s “Goodbye, interview.”  So what do you do?

Since it’s so critical to stay on your toes in a telephone interview, here are some phone interview tips to help you:

  • Have your phone interview in a quiet room.  The best place for a phone interview is at your home in a room where you can shut the door.  Everywhere else is not going to be a good idea:  Starbucks, a restaurant, your car, your office.  Too many potential disasters lurking in those places.
  • Minimize distractions. No music, TV, kids, pets, or other people to possibly grab your attention.  Go into a room and shut the door.
  • Eat before your interview.  Food is fuel, so make sure you’re fueled up and ready to go before this very important conversation.  You don’t want any hunger pangs or blood sugar dips distracting you.
  • Go to the bathroom.  You can’t do your best thinking when all you can concentrate on is how bad you’ve gotta go.
  • Wear comfortable, but professional clothing.  Just as you would in a regular interview, you want to dress professionally to put yourself in the right frame of mind.  But you also want to be comfortable so you’re not fidgeting with scratchy or too-tight clothing.
  • Be prepared.  Have all your papers in front of you on your desk so you can easily see them when you’re talking.  What papers?  Your resume, your list of questions to ask, your notes on the company, the important points you want to make about yourself.  You don’t want to be shuffling papers, trying desperately to find something in the middle of your call.
  • Breathe.  Just before your call, take a few minutes to do a few deep, relaxing breaths.  You want to calm your nerves so you don’t sound jumpy or jittery.  Relax and you’ll be able to focus.

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

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