Phone Interview Etiquette:
Approaching The
Phone Job Interview

The phone interview is typically used by hiring managers to screen possible job candidates rather than having to invite all of them in for longer face to face interviews.

The phone interview is used to then cull the list of potential candidates down to a smaller group of people who meet certain criteria and appear to be suitable for the job.

In my experience, employers who I've worked with who utilize phone interviews often do so for two main reasons.

First they might be the type of hiring manager who for whatever reason likes to start with a large group of potential candidates and then quickly go through the list to identify a smaller group that they want to interview face to face in more detail.

Secondly, hiring managers often utilize the phone interview as a method of interviewing out of town candidates who don't live in the same city (or state/province/country) as the hiring company.

When you have a phone interview set up you need to keep a few things in mind:

The person interviewing you can't see you (and you obviously can't see them either) so remember that they are judging not only what you say, but how you say it.

Ensure that you are in a quiet place when the phone interview occurs.

Ensure that you answer the phone at the time the interview takes place. Don’t miss the call!

Don’t get distracted during the interview. Ensure you are alone and can’t be distracted by anyone or anything.

If you're using a cordless phone, make sure you have good reception and that it's fully charged. It's not a great idea to use a cellphone unless you're sure you are going to have 100% perfect reception.

As with a face to face interview, try to get an idea from the person interviewing you what happens next in the interview process before the call ends ie. When will you hear back from them? Is there a face to face interview next?

Return from Phone Interview to Job Interview Types