|
 |
|
Job Interviews: Six Steps to Acing a Telephone Interview
Telephone interviews are becoming more popular these days. Whether that's good or bad depends on how you handle them! Sometimes telephone interviews are used as a pre-screening technique for all candidates. Other times they are reserved for candidates who live far away. Regardless of the reason, you must take them as seriously as an in-person interview. In other words, you must be prepared if you're going to ace the test. Here are six steps that will help you do just that: #1. Take the call when you're ready. If an employer calls and wants to do the interview when you're not expecting it (instead of setting up an appointment), excuse yourself politely ("I'm in the middle of something right now?") and offer to call back in ten minutes. This will give you time to prepare. #2. Get rid of distractions. Take the call on a phone in a quiet room - away from co-workers, radio, television, family, roommates, or anything else that may make noise or take your attention away from your task. #3. Gather your tools by the phone. These include: ? Your resume #4. Stand up to talk. Your position affects the quality of your voice. If you are sitting down relaxing, you don't project the same enthusiasm and intensity as you do if you're standing up. Also, smile as you're talking. It will come through in your voice. #5. Make a good sales presentation. You are selling yourself, so make sure you do it well... Just as you would during an in-person interview. Ensure that you've covered all the selling points on your list. (You do have a list, don't you?) #6. Let the employer end the interview. When it's obvious the conversation is over, don't try to drag it on. Say "Thank you for your time," reiterate your interest in the position, and ask what the next step will be. Follow these steps, perform well on the telephone, and you'll be invited to an on-site interview with the hiring manager! Bonnie Lowe is author of the popular Job Interview Success System and free information-packed ezine, "Career-Life Times." Find those and other powerful career-building resources and tips at her website: http://www.Best-Interview-Strategies.com
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Four Simple Steps To Better Results With Your Resume Is every job description you read the same? No. Get In Career Shape Research suggests that as many as 8 out of 10 employed adults are in the wrong job or career! They are in poor career-shape or have little or no career-stamina. Where Do I Go From Here? Making Your Future Work Better For You Networking Masterclass - Part 1 - Practicing Empathy Practicing Empathy A vital part of your networking skills is your ability to build rapport quickly and effectively with others. To build rapport successfully with another individual you need to understand 'where' they are coming from and have 'empathy' with them. People often think of empathy as a mystical commodity, a special, almost uncanny ability to experience the thoughts and feelings of someone else. In fact 'empathy' is quite simply applied imagination and only requires a little exertion and discipline. The next time you are sitting in a room conversing with three or more people, try this very simple activity: Temporarily remove yourself from the conversation. Be very quiet for a few moments. Pay particular attention to the person doing the most talking. Imagine the following things: Imagine the physical sensations the speaker is experiencing. Mentally place yourself in that person's body, sitting or standing in a particular position, eating the same food, drinking the same drink. Mentally become that person. Do you feel energised? Tired? Irritated? Imagine what kind of day the speaker has had - using all your knowledge about the speakers' day. If you know little about the person, guess. Continue to imagine yourself as that person. How does your day colour and affect what you are saying? Imagine the person's relationship's to everyone in the room - including yourself. Continue to mentally be that person. What kind of feelings are generated by the people around you? How do they affect the things you say? Now step back into yourself and rejoin the scene. Does your own role in the conversation feel different? Empathy, like memory is a creative act, not a mystical property and it requires imagination and practice. It lies within the grasp of all of us. Dissatisfied With Your job? Stop Trying To Go It Alone! Being dissatisfied with your job is a cycle, a very long and undesirable cycle. Here's how it goes: The Surefire Way To Getting A Pay Raise If you are working for someone else, it is important to remember this fact: No one gives you a raise, you must earn it. You've got to prove you are worth the additional money you are asking for. And, you must do this in a professional, business-like, and diplomatic way. You do this by completing salary research and having the facts straight in terms of your worth and the additional value you bring to the table. This may mean that you are not ready to ask for a raise tomorrow. But, taking the extra time, preparation, and effort necessary to ensure that you are eligible for a raise is really the only way you are going to get one. Also, when asking for a raise, it is best to stick to business, rather than personal, reasons. It is not fair to your employer to ask for a raise "because Sally needs new braces" or "because you need to pay for Billy's trip to Europe next summer." Stick to the business facts of why you deserve the raise. Following is an effective three-step process to getting the raise you deserve. Tips for Terrific Telephone Interviews Telephone interviews don't just happen; they are the result of action you have taken. For example, when you are networking and the company representative becomes interested in your skills; when a company representative calls you in response to a résumé you have sent; or when you have previously set up the telephone meeting. Your goal is to achieve a face-to-face meeting at the end of the call. Your Resume Format - What Is The First Thing You Need To Do? The first thing you need to do before you write your resume is learn how to format it. Just as if you were cooking a new dish you would follow a recipe, so too should you follow a specific format when you type your resume. Ten Resume Writing Tips You Can?t Live Without For some job opening, employers receive hundreds and even thousands of resumes. When you are looking for a job, how can you best promote yourself? How can you convince a prospective employer to pick-up the phone and call you for an interview? Ten Things To Do If You Really, Really Hate Your Job 1. Begin focusing on what you want instead of how much you want to escape. When you find yourself sharing the latest horror story, stop in mid-sentence and say, "What I want to have is..." Intuition: The Secret To Your Career Success For far too long, we moderns have relied on our analytical/logical brain to make important life decisions. It is my belief that our imaginative/creative brain holds the key to better, smarter and more soulful decisions. This is because the right side of the brain, which loves creativity---taps into your intuitive nature. Take your career for instance. How could following your intuition make you more successful? Because you will be following your true internal compass---one that leads you to the best career and a more fulfilled life. Retirement: Is It A Career Change Option? Retirement might be the answer when you ask yourself "why do I want to make a career change" and you decide that what you actually want is not so much a career change as to stop what you've been doing altogether. It is Still Possible to be Upwardly Mobile in America! Yes, it's still possible to be upwardly mobile in America: it's called a career in sales. Interview Questions: How To Stump The Interviewer In the limited time an interviewer has with you, their mission is to know you and assess your worth, especially in relationship to the other candidates interviewed. Asking you questions is the way they accomplish that mission. The Dog Days of Job Hunting Does a headline like this scare you? How to Evaluate Job Offers and Zoom In On the Right Opportunity for You You've been successful in your job hunt and have received a job offer. Maybe you received more than one offer. That's great. The next question is, how do you evaluate an offer to see if it is the right one for you? Let's look at some real answers. Take the Personal Out of the Workplace: Leave Your Troubles at the Door! Bringing your emotional baggage into the work place is inappropriate for all the reasons you may imagine. Yet employees, managers and business owners do it all the time. Pair Your Powerful Resume with a Great Cover Letter Every great resume deserves a great cover letter. The Top 10 Ways to Achieve Balance in Your Life 1. Define Success for Yourself Seven Success Tips For Recent Graduates Entering the Professional World 1) Build a Relationship With Your Boss
|
| home | site map |
| © 2008 |
