Crazy Good Interviewing by John B. Molidor & Barbara Parus

Author:John B. Molidor & Barbara Parus
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Wiley
Published: 2012-05-07T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9

Types of Interviews

Interviews have come a long way since traditional one-on-one meetings at the employer's place of business. With the advent of technology, the interview process might be conducted by phone, Skype, or in a one-on-one, panel, group interview, or any combination thereof. Smart job seekers will become proficient at all of these interview methods.

Phone Interviews: Can You Hear Me Now?

In today's job market, it's important to know how to give good phone…and no, this is not in reference to the 800 numbers that are advertised on late-night TV. Employers use phone interviews as a time-saving, cost-efficient method for screening job applicants and eliminating candidates whose skills and job experience do not match the job requirements. Phone interviews are designed to screen candidates and winnow the pool of applicants who will be invited for in-person interviews.

Phone interviews are conducted just like in-person interviews. Often, they are used to save on the traditional travel and hotel expenses involved in interviewing candidates who reside out of town or out of state. While you're actively job searching, it's important to be prepared for a phone interview on a moment's notice. You never know when a human resources manager, headhunter, or a networking contact might call. Most of the time, however, you will receive a call to schedule a phone interview appointment about a job opening.

No matter how or where your interview is conducted, your goal is to communicate that you are the best candidate for the position. If the interview has been scheduled in advance, you should prepare as carefully as you would for a formal, sit-down, face-to-face in someone's office. Do not underestimate the importance of a phone interview. It is critical to use proper etiquette to make a good impression on the interviewer, so you can progress to the next stage of the interview process.

You're probably wondering, “How hard can a phone interview be? I talk on the phone every day.” True, but most of the time, you don't have a potential job offer at stake, and the listener is not sitting with a checklist in hand scrutinizing your every word. You will be graded on your enthusiasm, clarity, politeness, and the types of questions you ask. You will need to clean up your grammar, avoid run-on sentences, and padding, such as “er,” “um,” “uh,” and “you know.” Keep in mind that the interview process is a two-way street (a polite street with traffic rules), and you should be checking out the interviewer, who is a representative of the employer organization. You may not want to accept every job offer that comes your way.

The interesting news is that practice makes habit; so practice perfectly. You should prepare for a phone interview in many of the same ways you would prepare for a face-to-face interview, such as practicing your responses to a list of common interview questions about your education, professional background, your strengths, and your weaknesses. It wouldn't hurt to have a recording device handy so you can hear how you sound when you conduct a mock interview with a family member or a friend.

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