Avoid These 12 Costly Mistakes During A Phone Interview

Job interviews can be stressful. You have to dress to impress when meeting face to face so there is stress over the outfit you pick out. There is stress over making sure you get there at the right time. And when you do get there, there is stress over the pending eye contact and questions the interviewer is going to ask.

But a phone interview? It’s a little different when you’re interviewing for a work-from-home job but there is still a little stress involved.

Since most job interviews are done over the phone, you have to be on your toes and ready for anything.

And why not? After all, there are hundreds of applicants vying for the same job so it’s important to bring your A-game to an interview whether it’s in person or by phone.

Imagine this…you’re in the middle of an interview when suddenly you’re asked to talk about one of your accomplishments but you don’t have a copy of your resume in front of you to refer back to.

Or you’re asked to explain how you would create a chart in excel but your computer is asleep. So now you’re uh-ing and saying anything to stall while your computer wakes up.

Phone Interview No-No’s

Those are the kind of things you have to be ready for when your doing a phone interview. And if you want to ace the interview here are more phone interview no-no’s you should keep in mind.

Don’t Be Unprepared

This is the worst mistake to make. Give yourself at least 20 minutes to prepare for your interview. Make sure you’re logged in to your computer and that it won’t go into sleep mode due to inactivity.

To disable sleep mode in Windows 10, read How to Enable or Disable Sleep Mode In Windows 10 for a easy to follow tutorial.

If you have a MAC, read About Energy Saver Sleep and Idle Modes In MAC OS X.

Have the company’s website up and your resume opened for instant access.

Embellish Your Achievements

Some folks are desperate to land a job and are willing to embellish their achievements.

But nothing will make you lose credibility faster and blow your chance at landing a job more than embellishing your achievements.

Remember they have your former employer’s information and will likely contact them to verify so be honest about your successes.

Response To The Question “Why Do You Want To Work Here”

Ah the dreaded “why do you want to work here” question. I mean really, how many of us have given serious thought to this question.

If you’re looking for better pay and benefits or you didn’t like your boss, you want to be honest but not that honest, right?

The best thing to do is write down what you’re going to say in case you’re asked this question.

Remember, the interviewer doesn’t want to hear a candidate give a response like “I heard it’s a fun place to work” or “I heard the pay is good. ” So make sure your response is carefully thought out.

Know Nothing About the Company

Not knowing anything about the company is another no-no.

Here’s my suggestion. Before the interview, get online and do some research to learn about the company you want to work for. Find out how they’re involved in the community or if there are any milestones the company has achieved.

Don’t Get Too Comfortable with the Interviewer

No matter how easy going and laid back the interviewer is, don’t respond in that manner. Keep a friendly but professional tone throughout your conversation. Which brings me to the next one.

Talk in Slang or Curse

Using slang words in your responses. I know I don’t have to tell you this but it’s always a great reminder. Especially if you’ve been blogging where we’re encouraged to use our voice and blog like we talk!

Keep Your Cell Phone On

Keep your cell phone on silent or alerts going off.

Background Noise

Keep the TV and music off during your interview.

Other Noises

Yawning, belching and other noises are also a no-no.

Eating, Chewing and Drinking

Eating, chewing gum and drinking during a phone interview is another no-no.

Monotone

If you can help it, don’t speak in a monotone voice.

Talk Negative

And, last but not least, do not talk negatively about your former employer or co-workers.

Wrapping Up

So there you have it. Simple faux pas that can blow a phone interview right out of the water. I hope you found these interview tips helpful. Good luck!