Telephonic interview is one of the most common tests employed for screening candidates for a job. In the freelance community—where there is usually the physical distance between clients and freelancer—telephonic interviews play a major role in the selection of the right candidates.
Through a telephonic interview, the client expects to assess the candidate against essential parameters and ascertain whether the freelancer is not yet another sham entity. Thus, you cannot simply wake up one fine day and decide to give an interview.
It is not easy to crack a telephonic interview, considering the very existence of a potential client on the other side of the call can in, itself, be quite intimidating. Moreover, there are other factors that play a significant role in deciding the quality of your performance.
In order to perform well in a telephonic interview, there are a few things one should keep in mind which may end up getting you hired. In this article, we have enumerated 10 such tips which you should strongly consider applying.
1. Stay Calm
The first and most important thing to keep in mind is calmness. We know that interviews could be nerve-racking experiences, but this should not lead you to lose calmness.
You have to be in the right state of mind to be able to listen and respond intelligently during the interview. If you are constantly worrying, then your mind might fail to effectively process information which can be quite a debacle.
There are a number of things you can do to stay calm: listen to music, watch videos, take a walk outside, talk to good friends, etc. Take a break from everything and let your mind relax and do not worry too much about consequences until you have finished the interview.
2. Choose A Location With Least Interference
You must make sure that the place from where you will give your interview is free from any interference. Any interference during an interview can not only cause communication problems but also induce nervousness.
Choose the time of hour when you are most comfortable. Shut the door, close the windows to keep out outside noises, and give the interview. If there are other occupants, tell them beforehand that you are busy and must not be disturbed.
3. Keep Your Mobile Fully Charged
It will be quite unbecoming of you to ask your interviewer to hold on and let you plug in the charger. What could be more embarrassing is that it may lead to a bad impression of you?
You can never be certain of the time it will take to get done with your interview. So, you must keep your cell phone charged to deal with an unpredictable interview time. You can also consider keeping close a portable charger, if there is any, to meet any exigencies.
4. A Pen And A Paper
Having a pen and a paper alongside is a conventional tip but works magic every time. So, before the interview begins, ensure that you have both of them.
The point is to be readily able to write down important notes that might help you understand the direction of the interview and personality of the interviewer better. You may keep a laptop close by, but there is nothing better and quicker than a pen and a paper.
5. Give Mock Interviews
A very workable way of strengthening confidence and being more prepared is undertaking mock interviews. You can find a plethora of commonly asked interview questions whose answer you should prepare beforehand.
Ask anyone you know to conduct mock interviews and help you practice. Be prepared, however, that there is no definite direction toward which an interview can go. So, you should keep your presence of mind intact.
The more mocks you give, the more confidence you will feel.
6. Research
During an interview, you should be able to project yourself as someone who is interested in the job. A great way of doing that is by showing off what you know about the employer who is hiring.
Study extensively, write down notes to refer during the interview, and use the collected information wherever necessary. Doing so, the interviewer can understand that you have done your research right and may offer you what you deserve.
7. Mind Your Language And Tone
What and how you speak can create a huge difference during interviews. A telephonic interview does not let interviewer assess your facial expressions and hence, reliance on the speech is quite huge.
Your verbal skills must be professional. Address interviewer politely and use proper designation. Avoid using slangs and do not speak until asked to. Do not interrupt when the other side is speaking on anything such as when he is correcting anything you said.
The tone of your speech is equally important. Do not sound as if you know better and must remain humble throughout your interview.
8. Ask Questions
Once the interview concludes, you should consider asking questions to show your involvement. However, there is a caveat: do not ask irrelevant or generic questions for the sake of asking. You are dealing with people who have spent much of their time interviewing people and they can easily make out your tricks.
While framing questions, keep them short and simple as it will save time and ensure better responses.
9. Do Not Give Lengthy Answers
You do not have all day to conclude the interview. You cannot waste the interviewer’s time by giving vague and lengthy answers. You need to be short and simple with your response. If your answer requires a bit of more time than given, ask for the interviewer’s leave to continue.
One important tip is to avoid being repetitive and answer only what pertains to the question. A roundabout approach towards response-making is not healthy and can cost you a job opportunity.
10. Be Honest
As noted earlier, interviewers have been interviewing for a long time. They can pick out quite easily who is who and what a person is trying to achieve. Thus, you might not be able to win the psychological war against these professionals.
It is highly advised that you remain honest about yourself. Tell who you are, what you can give, what you expect, etc to avoid ending up in troubles in the future.
In the freelance community, there are too many applicants and the need to find the brightest among them is high. So, a telephonic interview may not be easy on you. But with the right preparation and methodology, one can surpass obstacles and impress interviewers.
We think our tips on this issue can be of great assistance to our readers. If properly employed, these tips can take you a long way. But, in case you think that there is anything you want to add or comment, you are welcome to do so. You can also share the article so that others can also contribute.
