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How to Prepare for A Phone Interview in 2021

How to Prepare for A Phone Interview in 2021

Congratulations! Your hard work is paying off, and you are finally getting some traction with your job search. You have a phone interview scheduled, and you are starting to get a little anxious. Don’t fret – with a bit of preparation and practice, you can enter your conversation feeling confident. If you are looking for a refresher course on how to prepare for a phone interview, here are five simple tips to make an excellent impression on the hiring manager.

Set up a professional voicemail

When was the last time you reviewed your voicemail? We typically don’t call ourselves, so your voicemail might be out of date or a little too casual. Take a few minutes to listen to your voicemail and update it if necessary. Make sure it’s professional yet friendly and that there is no background noise. You never know when you for some reason might miss an interview call or play phone tag with each other. 

Check your battery and cell reception

Since you will probably be using your cell phone during your phone interview, make sure the battery is fully charged. The last thing you want to happen is your phone to die halfway through your conversation. Have the battery charged up and silent your phone to not receive any distracting notifications buzzing in your ear. Also, ensure your phone reception is strong, so the call quality is impeccable. Your voice must come out crystal clear, and for you, you must have strong enough service to be able to hear your interviewer without any hiccups.

Have important documents at the ready

Since you can have this phone interview in your home, you can access important application documents. You can pull up your resume, cover letter, job description, the company website, and other essential documents. If you do this on your computer, close all your other windows and mute your computer so you can silently switch between them. If you want to print them out, have them organized so you aren’t struggling to shuffle through them on the phone. Having these documents at the ready can help you brilliantly answer any questions that might otherwise catch you off guard.

Take notes

During your phone interview, you should be taking notes. Jot down important things the hiring manager says or something you want to discuss further in your interview. In an interview, time flies by, and you can easily forget an excellent question as quickly as you can formulate it. Have a notepad and pen within arm’s reach to write down notes, questions, or anything else you might find valuable throughout the interviewing process.

Show enthusiasm in your voice

A crucial part of a traditional face-to-face interview is body language – nodding your head, smiling, and other non-verbal cues that illustrate your excitement and personality. In a phone interview, you don’t have this opportunity, so you must demonstrate your enthusiasm in your voice. To make sure there is excitement in your voice, don’t forget to smile! It’s true what they say; you can hear someone smiling in their voice. Also, remember it is okay to laugh if there is a funny moment in your interview.

Are you looking for more interview advice?

With social distancing and more people working from home, you can almost bet one of your interviews will be conducted through the phone. These are just a few easy ways you can prepare for a phone interview in 2021. If you are looking for more interview advice, check out our interview insight page for dozens of helpful tips, tricks, and suggestions to nail your interview!

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