#6 Phone Interview Tips

Phone Interview Tips

I have a phone interview coming up this Wednesday. It’s for a software developer internship at a large European company. Do you guys have any tips (expect for trying not to be too nervous)?

Johan Tibell
Monday, October 24, 2005

- Answer questions as succinctly and concisely as possible.
- If you don't know the answer, don't stammer and hem and haw, just say, "I don't know".Sassy

Monday, October 24, 2005

My experience: whatever your natural personality is will come across even more on the phone. So, if you are low-key, you'll come across as depressed or bored. If you are energetic, you'll come across as over-exuberant. So modulate.

In my case I'm low-key, so to keep the energy level up in the phone call I often walk around while talking (within a private area) and I make sure to smile while talking, as it does come across in the voice.

Typically the purpose of a phone interview is to check whether you are remotely a good fit. If there are technologies that they are using that you're very familiar with, drop in references that make that clear. For example, if they're using a technology that recently had an aggravating bug eliminated, don't just say "Yes, I have 5 years experience with X", say "Boy, working with X is sure easier now that we don't have to worry about the foo issue, huh?". A reminder that you and the interviewer are in the same trenches together. (This assumes a technical interviewer, of course.) Jacob

1) Make sure you're in a place you won't be interrupted
2) Have a pad for writing notes that you can refer back to
3) "Smile" over the phone, show some enthusiasm
4) If you're thinking about something while solving a problem or question, talk out loud. This way they "hear" what you're thinking instead of dead silence.
5) If you're at your home computer, have their web site and your resume up for quick review. QADude