Top 10 tips for a successful Telephone Interview

Top 10 tips for a successful Telephone Interview

By Jez Styles

While we have seen an increase in the use of Skype and other video based technology it would seem that the use of the Telephone Interview is back on the rise. It is an inexpensive method for judging cultural and or behavioural fit and is often the first stage in recruitment processes; Forming the backbone of a labour intensive campaign or quite simply an ‘informal chat’ for a senior executive. It is however, full of pitfalls for candidates. Here are ten easy to follow tips that will ensure you create the best impression possible.

1) Get the Environment right:
Try to avoid conducting the interview in a busy, noisy environment or indeed in your car. A private office where you will not be disturbed is perfect. Too many telephone interviews are interrupted by questions from colleagues, or the barista behind the counter at Starbucks! Ensure you allow enough time for the interview and do not assume it will be a ‘quick ten minutes.’  Use a landline for receiving the call. Poor mobile phone reception is the single biggest reason why many telephone interviews fail to take place. While they are technological wonders, our mobile phones are surprisingly unreliable at the worst possible time when it comes to their most fundamental function; making and receiving calls.

2) Prepare.
This is a fantastic opportunity to have your notes and CV in front of you during the interview. Make sure you summarise your notes focussing on key points to avoid scripted answers.

3) Sit in front of the mirror.
This may seem a little odd but quite simply it will give you an indication of how you are coming across. Do you look animated? Is your head up? Perhaps most importantly are you smiling? If not then try to focus on doing so, this may translate in you feeling more confident and therefore sounding more positive!  Alternatively you could try standing up and walking around. If you are more comfortable walking and talking then ensure you are in the right environment to do this. Many people feel they are more animated when upright and this allows for a greater level of focus.

4) DO NOT actively listen when asked questions.
A common mistake to make, however actively listening in a telephone interview can disrupt flow as you will find the interviewer may stop talking. This can lead to a disjointed and awkward conversation.

5) Ask the interviewer to rephrase or repeat back the question.
If you are slightly uncertain about the question either ask the interviewer to rephrase or indeed paraphrase this back. You should try to avoid doing this repeatedly but it is better to get your answer right first time.

6) Use regular pauses.
Leave healthy pauses after every two or three sentences to allow the interviewer to either drill further down or confirm they have heard enough.

7) Vary your pace, pitch and tone.
It is very difficult to convey energy and empathy over the phone so it is important that you vary your speech. The monotone interview is the bane of all interviewers!

8) Practice a CV run through.
The structure of telephone interviews will often vary but a standard format will be CV based. If you are asked to run through your career history you should qualify how long this should last. Do they want a 30 second elevator pitch or a detailed 30 minute conversation? Either way, plan ahead!

9) Build rapport early on but avoid too many jokes!
As with all interviews first impressions count. Good interviewers will try to break the ice early on. Reciprocate and avoid coming across as ‘cold.’

10) Ask Questions.
Like most interviews you will get a chance to ask questions. If an interviewer has a solid day of telephone interviews you will probably stand out more if you ask an insightful question about the business/role and more importantly about them.

On the Brink? 5 Reasons To Stay, 5 reasons To Go

On the Brink? 5 Reasons To Stay, 5 reasons To Go

Posted by Will Thomson on January 6, 2013 at 2:30pm

In 1981, The Clash wrote a song called "Should I Stay or Should I Go".  The next year they released it, and it became their only #1 single.  On the single, Mick Jones sings "Should I stay or should I go?  If I stay there will be trouble.  An' if I stay there will be double." Do you ever feel this way about your job and where you work?  If so, you are not alone.

Changing jobs is a tough decision.  It is frightening.  You are about to leave the known, and enter the unknown.  You are about to start over.  You are asking yourself: "Am I making the right decision?"  I have coached thousands of candidates on their career and I have openly told them, "yes", it is time to make a change or "no", now is not the time.

2013 is a new year and you have had some time to reflect on where you are with your career and if you are headed in the right direction.  Before making any hasty decisions, here are 5 reasons you should stay with your current employer and 5 reasons you should go.  Hopefully, you make the right decision.  If you don't and it doesn't work out, my best advice is to never burn a bridge and keep the door open for returning.  

5 Reasons to Stay with your Current Employer

1.  You Enjoy Your Job  Sometimes things are going great at your current job, but something is pulling you to make a change.  Let me tell you from experience, happiness at a job is a great thing.  If you truly like what you do, the pay and management are fair, then it is probably better to stay where you are then to leave for another job.

2.  Your Management and Staff Make You Feel Like Part of a Family  Take money completely out of the equation.  If a company treats you well, respects you, values you, makes you feel at home, please stay!  The world is a very cruel place to be and it can be very cut-throat.  More often than not, people who leave companies where they feel valued for another opportunity just because they want "a change" end up going back to their employer.  

3.  Your Current Employer Offers Light at the End of the Tunnel  What I mean by this statement is that even though you aren't satisfied with your current situation, you know changes CAN happen.  Let's say you work for a major employer and there are opportunities to transfer into another division or a different area within your company.  Don't jump just yet, explore opportunities.  Another example would be that the company is struggling, but you know of a new product line that may boost sales and increased morale.

4.  Your Company is an Industry Leader  If you are in an industry that is hot, with a company that is doing well and you are being paid a good salary, stay at your employer.  A lot of companies are struggling financially and if you are with an industry leader and don't have to worry about that, then don't leave.  Not in 2013.

5. The Company Makes You a Better Person   If you are working with a company where you may be making less, but have the opportunity to work with the best in the field, you may want to stay.  You are surrounded by great minds, and great leaders, which give you the tools to be not only successful at work, but in your life.  You will emmulate them in your daily activities and see them as mentors throught your career.

5 Reasons to Leave your Current Employer

1.  A Company is Trying to Compromise Your Values  One thing you must always maintain throughout your career is your integrity.  Your moral and ethical values are the most important things you offer as an employee.  If you are being asked to do something that you believe will taint your image, run, don't walk away.  Take pride in who you are and what you offer.  Some company will admire you for what you have done.

2.  You Have Hit a Glass Ceiling Sometimes you are with a company where you cannot advance any further.  Sometimes you need to make a change to get to the next level in your career.  If you stay at your current employer, you are only hurting your future.

3.  Family & Health  No job is worth losing a spouse over.  No job is worth being so stressed out that you aren't enjoying life anymore.  No job is worth neglecting family and friends.  We are only here a short amount of time on this earth.  Enjoy what is most important in your life.  If it is your job status, then you have your values messed up.  Take a minute to really think about your priorities.

4. Travel or Commute  No one can sustain 100% travel forever.  If a company is requiring you to spend every minute on a plane or in a hotel, you need to consider a change.  We do have skype now, we can plan for business trips.  If you are commuting 3 hours into work and out of work with no telecommuting policy, then you need to explore other options.  They are available.

5. Your Company is Taking Advantage of You  When you are doing the job of 3 people and the company and management team don't respect you, you need to walk away.  Companies will ask you to take on additional responsibilities in this economy. You will know when they are using "the economy" as an excuse to get more than you are able to give. 

Jobseekers – Get yourself noticed

Jobseekers – Get yourself noticed

Posted by Amanda Ashworth on January 10, 2013 at 8:26am

Times are tough and if you are a job-seeker you need to get yourself noticed. Almost everywhere you look now there is a graduate with high hopes and quite unrealistic expectations of finding that ideal well paid job when they are fresh out of university in what is a tough economic climate. Although the current market place for jobs for graduates is tough, it is not impossible to succeed in securing that first role, below are some of my tips on how to stand out from the crowd.

·         Use your time at university and long summers wisely. Try and get work placements, most university have bureaus and can help advise you on local businesses that use work experience students. Think about what you are going to put on your CV, get involved in groups/clubs and try to volunteer for a charity.

·         If you are offered the chance you do a year in industry, jump at it. This will gain you experience and give you the upper hand of someone who has no experience. Sometimes this also leads to a job waiting for you when your degree is complete.

·         Try and work while at University, experience counts apply for roles that are going to help develop skills such as retail, customer service and office based roles.

·         Take full advantage of the career services in your university, they will help you do your CV and give you advice.

·         Graduate schemes are very competitive, be organised and apply early. Personalise your applications for each company remember that the person reading your application is going to be going through 100’s of applications. They won’t want to hear your life story but try and get your personality across in your personal profile and cover letter.

·         Networking is important attend any career fairs, exhibitions or industry events try and gain some contacts in the industry you want to go into.  Use social media, sign up to LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook many companies do advertise for entry roles on all of these.

·         Sign up for job boards and ONLY apply for relevant roles that match your skill set. Following up on applications, it shows your interest and creates a good impression.

·         Be prepared to work your way up or do an internship. Be realistic and be prepared to start at the bottom and be realistic of starting salaries. Once you are in a company no matter what role you are in give it 110% and go the extra mile because this will get you noticed.

·         Once you have a role, remember that you are a commodity and you should invest in yourself with continuous personal development. If offered training or the chance to attend courses do. You should always be developing your skills. 

Hilarious Recruiting Video: Some Recruiter That I used to Know

http://www.recruitingblogs.com/forum/topics/hilarious-recruiting-video-some-recruiter-that-i-used-to-know

5 Reasons Your Online Job Application Did Not Catch My Attention by Jorg Stegemann

5 Reasons Your Online Job Application Did Not Catch My Attention

By Jorg Stegemann

December 10, 2012 at 8:30am

Are you sending tons of resumes on job ads but do not even get an answer? Here may be why:

Recruiters both in HR departments or recruitment agencies/ search firms receive a large number of resumes every day and we have to decide within 5-10 seconds if we call up the candidate or not. The “Leitmotiv” of my job – professional recruitment - is to find similarities between the job and the applicant, the skills of the person in front of me and the job responsibilities.

Her are 5 tips for targeted applications that are more likely to bring you to the interview:

1. Only apply if you match 75% of the job ad: this ratio will give you a) confidence to succeed in the job and b) enough room to grow, learn and stay motivated for the next years. 75% is not only a good indicator for the recruiter - who will weed out those candidates who fall short - but it is also important for your personal risk management: you want to be sure the next step will be the right one and you will stay and evolve within the new organization, right?
2. Only apply if you cover 99% of the KO criteria: When it says “fluent Bushman language is a must criterion”, this means that you cannot do the job unless you are fluent in Bushman language. Though you might apply when you give yourself a “very good”, do not do so if you only have basic knowledge. Be prepared that everything you put on your resume will be double-checked - and in 80% of the cases I correct the language level stated. I had candidates that put “fluent” on their resume yet were not able to communicate at all in the stated language
3. Do not apply when you are clearly over or under qualified: If you read “7 years relevant experience”, you can be sure to get a negative response if you have 2 or 20 years of experience as we consider that the job is either under or over your competencies or not in line with the salary range for this level. Though we understand that you might be willing to go down on salary and responsibilities if you are highly qualified, you might create an internal disequilibrium. We might furthermore assume that stepping down in terms of responsibilities, title and salary as well as reporting to someone potentially less qualified than you is neither good for your morale nor for your career management and we would fear that you will not stay but continue looking for a “better” job. If you do not have the experience required and do not meet the 75% above, we might assume that you won’t make it…
4. Only apply when you are around: You should live in the area where the job is located or have a very good reason why you apply: I get resumes from Australia for jobs in France. Though the credentials may be flawless, these candidate can unfortunately not be priority A as they cannot be in my office e.g. Monday at 5pm for a first interview and meet my client on Thursday. Furthermore, moving to another city and leaving family and friends behind may sound easier than it in reality is and in my career and experience shows that in the end, we often hear “Well, I underestimated this. Sorry but I have to turn down the offer”. If this is true for different cities, it becomes even truer cross-border when a work permit is required. Unless you are a super-specialist, most employers will not be ready to engage themselves as they cannot be sure that you will really get the permit
5. Only apply if your gut feeling is right: Do not ask me why but I have candidates who tell me “yeah, I had a doubt and actually, I don’t like the industry”. Do not apply when you are not convinced of the job content, the industry or other parameters you cannot change. Choosing a new job is about the question where you want to spend 40-50 hours per week – ideally for the next years. A doubt at the beginning will most likely result in a refusal, from the candidate or the employer. This is like a hole in a boat when you leave the haven: do not think it will go well or there will be happy surprises – in 99 out of 100 cases this will not happen

Conclusion:

People tell me I am often too direct and I am sorry if this is what you think after reading this post. I do not mean to destroy hopes and perfectly understand that we currently live in a difficult economic context with many candidates desperately looking for a new job. I agree that you should do a maximum to increase chances to find a new job. Yet it is all about efficiency and the aim of my writing is to increase the positive returns on your efforts.