The Phone Screen—a Crucial First Impression

Has this ever happened to you?

You apply for a job and receive a call from somebody at the company. They want to conduct a preliminary interview over the telephone, i.e., a phone screen. So they ask you a few standard questions, and you give what you believe are good answers, answers that should definitely take you to the next level of the process. You hang up the phone, confident that you’re on your way. Except. . .you never receive another phone call from that person. Obviously, you failed the phone screen.

What went wrong? Probably a few things that you didn’t even recognize or notice while the phone call was happening. Unfortunately, many candidates take the phone screen for granted. They believe it’s merely a formality before the company calls them in for an interview. In fact, they almost treat the phone screen as though they’ll be called in during that telephone conversation. This is a crucial mistake. The phone screen is the first major step in the interview process, and it must be taken just as seriously as a face-to-face interview.

That’s because you’ll never make it to the face-to-face interview unless you make a positive impression on the phone. The tricky part is that the phone screen is not simply a streamlined version of a face-to-face interview. Since your objective (securing a face-to-face meeting) is different, the way in which you conduct yourself during the phone screen is different, as well. Below are some tips you should keep in mind:

1. Be enthusiastic and assertive. Sometimes it’s easy to forget, but the person on the other end of the line can’t see your facial expressions or make eye contact with you. As a result, they can’t fully or accurately gauge your level of excitement or interest in the position.

2. Stay focused and eliminate all distractions. Avoid speaking too fast, having music or other noises in the background, chewing or smoking, or speaking too close to the receiver—in other words, anything that may create an unpleasant image of yourself.

3. Don’t ask questions that appear to be selfishly motivated. This is the most common mistake that people make during phone screens. You shouldn’t even bring up the subject of money or benefits. Remember, this phone call determines whether or not you’ll be having a face-to-face interview. Your only goal at this point should be to sell the company on your skills and experience. Be ready to showcase specific examples of projects and accomplishments that illustrate these things. Talking about money prematurely can only have a negative effect.

4. Be prepared for the following questions:

• Why are you leaving your present position? Have a positive reason for this move. Ripping on your current boss is not going to leave a favorable impression (even if you truly can’t stand the person). Emphasize your desire for professional growth and development.
• What are your strong/weak points? Be honest when answering this question. Trying to convince the interviewer that you have no weaknesses will uncover at least one weakness—dishonesty.
• What were your biggest accomplishments in your last position? This is another opportunity to showcase your skill level and experience. Make a detailed list of your accomplishments beforehand. You don’t want to come up short on this question.What contributions can you make to our company? This is the big question, the one that will either cement their interest in you or leave them with lingering doubts. The best way to answer it is to conduct thorough research on the company. Check out the company’s Web site, find out what they’re doing, and be prepared to point out how you can help them achieve their goals. As a parting comment, let the potential employer know that you are very interested in the position and why. Once again, let your enthusiasm show. It could be the deciding factor between you and another candidate.

If treated properly, the phone screen can help to set the tone for the entire interview process. It can make you look solid from beginning to end. The good news is that if you’ve read this article, you already have a jump on many candidates in the market right now, candidates you may be vying with for your next job. If you stick to the guidelines listed above, you’ll increase the chances that you’ll be moving on—and they’ll still be searching.