Phone Interview Hacks to Help You Stand Out as a Top Candidate

Phone interviews can be tough. All you have is your speech, word choice, and tone! So, how do you ensure that your application makes it to the next round of interviews? Lucky for you, we are here to help. Here are the top phone interview hacks to help you stand out as a top candidate. Let’s get started!

Word Choice

Word choice is important. Keep in mind that the employer can’t see you, analyze your expressions, body movements, or facial signals. This does not leave them much choice other than to put an extreme emphasis on your word choice! So, it is crucial to choose wisely. Before responding to the interviewer’s question, take a moment to think about and craft your response. Remember, your potential employer is not looking for who can respond the fastest. Rather, they are assessing who can form the best response. There is no shame in taking a breath and enjoying a few moments to organize your thoughts before speaking into the phone.

Remind yourself to:

• Take a breath, and do not rush yourself.
• Use smart words that accurately describe your feelings.
• Avoid jargon that can make your interview hard to relate to

Tone

Your tone of voice is another essential piece that plays into a typical phone interview. The employer will be listening closely to how confident, excited, and interested you seem about the role. This is why you mustn’t read pre-assembled responses to questions during your phone interview. It is natural to write out a few notes for yourself when preparing for your upcoming phone interview. Having notes to refer to is one of the beautiful perks about participating in an interview where the employer can’t see you! However, when we read off a piece of paper, it is common for our tone of voice to become monotone. You might expose yourself if the interviewer clues into the fact that you are reciting responses.

Keep in mind: 

• Always make sure to use tone to signify when you are asking a question. 
• If you are excited about something, let your voice show it.
• Take your time, there is no need to read word for word your notes, but you can quickly reference them at a glance.

Smile Over The Phone

This is the biggest hack for nailing your phone interview, and it couldn’t be any easier! Smiling while you are on the phone is a natural way to lift your tone and make you sound more friendly and approachable. Have you ever had a phone conversation where you can hear the other person smile?! That’s what we are talking about! This is the best hack to lighten and lift your interview, which will allow your bright personality to shine through.

Always remember: 

• Smile over the phone during the interview
• It is okay to laugh!
• Hand gestures can be used to help add color to your words.

Speak Clearly and Slowly

When we are nervous, we rush. It’s natural human nature! However, breaking this habit is crucial to nailing your phone interview. Connection and service aren’t always great. Especially if you are participating in your phone interview while located in a dorm, car, or apartment building. So, it is only fair to the employer that you speak clearly and slowly to perform an accurate assessment. Speaking clearly and slowly will help you come across as more professional, confident, aware, and well-spoken.

Tips to tackling: 

• Over-annunciate your words
• Focus on vowels
• Take a breath between each sentence.

Ask Questions

Asking questions is important in any interview setting. However, it is especially important to ask questions during your phone interview to keep the conversation going. It is always a good idea to base your questions around company culture, office life, and the establishment’s overall environment. These are all things you would not learn in a remote interview setting!

Here are a few possible questions to ask:

• “What are your favorite things about the company culture?”
• “How would you describe the collaborative nature of the team?”
• “What is something about the office environment I would notice if I were participating in an in-person interview?”
• “How has the culture changed since readjustments you had to make due to the COVID-19 pandemic?”
• “What is the best part about the physical workplace that employees always rave about?”

More to Explore:

How to nail your fashion internship interview – Here

How to show your personality during an interview – Here 

3 step interview checklist – Here 

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