Feature Image by Andrew Neel

The job hiring process is tough. From rejection emails to not hearing back for weeks, there’s a lot of ups and downs that come with job hunting.

One of the most difficult hurdles in the process is the phone interview. You’ve wow-ed the company with your résumé, cover letter, LinkedIn profile, and your Spamzilla built blog, but now it’s time to take it one step further. Here are some tips to kill it in your phone interview.

Prepare like you would for a test
Do your research before every interview. Whether that’s rereading the job description or looking at your interviewer’s LinkedIn profile, this will help you craft better answers. What does the person’s LinkedIn profile tell you about their work history and expertise? Gain as much knowledge as possible before picking up the phone.

It’s OK (in fact, it’s good) to have a cheat sheet
The beauty of a phone interview is…well, it’s on the phone. But if you thought a cheat sheet meant a free pass, you thought wrong. You should be just as prepared for a phone interview as you would be for an in-person interview. The cheat sheet should only be used to help keep your points organized (you don’t want to sound like you’re reading off a sheet of paper!).

Minimize distractions
Location, location, location. The answer to finding the right location is to pick a place with minimal distractions. If you know there’s going to be renovations at your apartment this week or you have a dog who barks when a neighbor walks by your front door, try to find a more private place. Minimize the external noise as much as possible — this includes distractions from your phone (set it on “do not disturb”), television, social media, etc.

Gather information
Treat your phone interview as you would for an in-person interview. What would you bring? You would probably have your résumé, cover letter, and maybe even some references on hand. Gather all of the necessary materials before your interview and keep it within hands reach. It also doesn’t hurt to have the job description and the company’s website pulled up on your laptop. That way, if the interviewer asks any questions about why you fit the position or the company, you have resources at your disposal.

Speak with confidence
While a phone interview limits you from winning over the interviewer with your charm and smile, you can still use your wit, confidence, and exemplary, skilled diction to sell your best self. Speak clearly with confidence and enthusiasm to leave a good impression.

Listen intentionally
Take notes. This doesn’t mean start typing what the interviewer is saying word for word, but take enough notes to help you repeat key points the interviewer brings up to show you’re actively listening.

Take the interview seriously
Just because this interview is not an in-person interview doesn’t mean you should be lackadaisical about it. First things first, change out of your PJs. This is a job interview. Slouching and lounging around the house can easily be reflected in your tone of voice. Get dressed, prepare your talking points, and put some effort into the interview.

Send a follow-up email
It’s always a great idea to send a follow-up email after any type of interview to say thank you. Express your gratitude to the interviewer for taking time out of his or her day to speak with you. Also, this expresses your continued interest in the role.

Communicate next steps
With any type of interview, phone interviews included, the worst thing is to be left hanging (pun intended). You don’t want to be left in the dark about next steps and wait around for weeks hoping for an email or call. Ask the interviewer when they expect to fill the role and what the next steps are in the hiring process. Is there another round of interviews after the phone interview? Will they reach their final decision next week or next month? These are all important things to find out before hanging up the phone.

xx, The FabFitFun Team