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Phone Interview Tips During COVID-19

By Job Journey on Tuesday, April 14, 2020

Ace those questions without leaving the house

Phone interviews can be difficult. It’s hard to know if you’re on the right track answering a question when you can’t see your interviewer’s face. But interviewers don’t have time to see everyone in person. As job board Monster.com notes, “Because they’re generally brief, phone interviews save companies time. They also serve as a more realistic screening alternative for cases in which companies are considering out-of-town, or out-of-state, or international candidates.”

And that doesn’t even take the current COVID-19 epidemic into account, when in-person interviews really aren’t possible.

Although you don’t have to wear a nice shirt or blouse to a phone interview, your voice and demeanor should be dressed to the nines. There are best practices to follow to ensure you move on to the next stage. Here are a few of our top phone interview tips.

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Ask a Recruiter Inside Express

VIDEO: Making an Impression During a Phone Interview

By Job Journey on Thursday, January 9, 2020

Impressing someone you can’t see.

Phone interviews are often the first step to getting your dream job. But it can be difficult to express yourself without seeing your interviewer’s face. How do you steer the conversation if you don’t know how your interviewer is reacting?

Luckily, some of our top Express recruiters are here with tips to help you succeed in your next phone interview.

Companies care about culture, and you want to show your personality fits right in, even over the phone. Now you’re ready to do just that.

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Job Interviews

Phone Interviews: Impress in 30 Minutes or Less

By Job Journey on Wednesday, October 1, 2014

When you’re on the hunt for a new job, you know that interviews are just part of the process. You may love them or hate them, but they are expected and shouldn’t come as a surprise. But, these days more and more employers are using phone interviews to screen out candidates, which could cause anxiety for some job seekers

Forbes explains that this allows employers to “sort through candidates without committing to the expense and time required for on-site meet-ups.”

Job board and career advisement site Monster.com echoes the same observations. “Many companies use phone interviews as an initial employment screening technique for a variety of reasons. Because they’re generally brief, phone interviews save companies time. They also serve as a more realistic screening alternative for cases in which companies are considering out-of-town, or out-of-state, or international candidates.”

With that reality in mind, it’s important that job seekers begin to anticipate the likelihood of phone interviews. Here’s five tips to help you ace your next phone interview and make the right impression within the first 30 minutes.

Treat It Like Any Other Interview
As one hiring manager told Yahoo Finance, “A phone interview is still an interview, not an informal phone call with a friend.” You still have to be ready to put your best foot forward. SO, be ready for some tough interview questions.

Set Yourself Up For a Win
Before your phone interview, you need to have confirmed several pieces of important information. Double-check the exact time of the call; find out the anticipated length of time the call will last; and clarify who’s calling whom, and who will be on the call. All of this information will help you know what to expect and be better prepared for the interview so you’ll make a good first impression.

Check Your Sound
Obviously you want your phone and environment to be conducive to the best call possible, but there’s another sound element that’s even more vital: the sound of your own voice. In fact, Forbes found that a job candidate not sounding awake, alert, and excited is the number one phone interview mistake. “Without visual cues, interviewers are paying extra close attention to the content of your answers and anything else they can glean from your voice. So, lackluster answers or low energy could be interpreted as a lack of interest…”

That means you need to be fully awake, have warmed up your voice, and have a smile on your face by the time the phone rings so they’re immediately impressed with your voice.

Do Your Homework
Just like an in-person interview, you should thoroughly research the company, position, and interviewers prior to the scheduled call. One of the plus-sides to phone interviews is you can have all your notes spread out and readily available to you during the conversation. However, don’t think you can research on the fly while you’re talking with the potential employer. You want everything organized in front of you so that when you need to reference your notes you aren’t distracted and the interviewers don’t hear the sound of rustling papers or typing. Being prepared to ask a thoughtful question or make an insightful comment will start the interview out on the right foot.

Be an Active Listener
In a phone interview, you don’t have the luxury of facial expressions or body language to aid in your listening and comprehension – you have to utilize your active listening skills. This is important throughout the entire phone call and vital to giving an overall good impression, but it’s especially important for the beginning of the call. You’ll want to match the names of the interviewers to their voices, allowing you to better phrase and direct your responses as the interview proceeds, and help you in the very important follow-up process.

US News explains it this way, “Employers usually have far more qualified candidates than they can interview, so they’ll look for ways to narrow down that pool. If you sound low-energy, unfriendly, distracted, or simply unprofessional, or if you chronically interrupt or don’t communicate clearly, they’ll put you straight into the ‘no’ pile.” That means you must learn to ace phone interviews if you hope to impress potential employers and land the job you want.

What have been your own experiences with phone interviews? How do you prepare for and treat them differently than face-to-face interviews? Tell us in the comments section below!

Movin’ On Up is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals.

At Work My Entry-Level Life New Job Tips The Daily Grind

Cell Phone Don’ts At Work

By mrsmith on Wednesday, August 14, 2013

According to a recent report from the United Nations, “six billion of the world’s seven billion people have mobile phones,” even though “only 4.5 billion have a toilet.” And to narrow it down, Pew Research found that as of May 2013, 91% of American adults have a cell phone and 56% have a smartphone. Those are some incredible statistics that prove how much mobile technology has impacted every aspect of life – and the workplace is not immune.

Cell phones can have many positive benefits, but they have a dark side too. Unfortunately, that dark side can quite often be seen at work, and it could affect your job more than you realize. Take a look at these cell phone don’ts to make sure you’re maintaining proper workplace etiquette and not hurting your career.

Don’t Leave the Ringer On
While you may have a good reason to keep your cell phone on you at work, there is no reason not to turn it on silent. No one wants to hear your duck-quack ringtone or a shortened version of “Call Me Maybe” multiple times a day, day-in and day-out. Plus, chances are it will go off at the most inopportune time, like when the company president is walking by.

Don’t Conference Call
If you have a conference call on your calendar, then plan to be at work, on a land line. And this is especially true if you’re the one hosting the call. It can be very distracting to all the other people on the call if they can hear loud road noise or lunch orders being yelled out in the background.

Don’t bring It to Meetings
Just because almost everyone else takes their phone with them into meetings doesn’t mean you need to. Unless you’re expecting an important call that really can’t wait, leave it at your desk. But, if you think you might need it to check your calendar for future meeting dates or to verify information online, keep it out of sight.

Don’t Text (or Call) and Drive
Most companies probably have a policy by now for rules on cell phone usage for business while you’re driving, and most likely it will err on the side of safety. It’s always a good idea, though, to not use your phone at all while driving, whether you’re in your own car or a company car. Should an accident happen due to you being distracted, your employer and even your job could be negatively impacted.

When In Doubt, Don’t Use It At All
Common sense is always a good thing to use, and it applies to your cell phone usage at work too. Remember why you’re there and focus on getting the job done. And if you find yourself in a situation where you feel even slightly uncomfortable about being on your phone, it’s always a good call to just put it away.

What are some other good guidelines for cell phone usage at work? Let us know how you handle your cell phone while at work by sharing in the comments section.

At Work Workplace Goofs

5 Guidelines for Personal Cell Phone Use

By Movin On' Up on Friday, September 28, 2012

Most of you probably own a cell phone and bring it to work with you so that you’re able to stay in contact with your family and friends, and have it just in case of emergencies. While some workplaces have personal cell phone usage guidelines in place, some may not enforce the rules, and others may not have any rules at all. So, to avoid a major cell phone faux pas at work, here are five guidelines you should follow regardless of your type of job or position.

1) Use it sparingly
The best place to keep your cell phone at work is out of reach, especially if you get distracted easily. You can keep it in your purse, desk drawer, or vehicle, and make your personal calls before or after work, during breaks, and at lunch. Interruptions can reduce productivity for you and your teammates and increase risks of accidents and injuries on the job.

2) Keep it quiet
If you have to have your phone at work, turn the ringer off or use the vibrate mode. The ring of a cell phone can cause mistakes and cause you and your co-workers to lose focus. Turning your cell phone ringer off will limit the distractions that you create for yourself and others.

3) Talk in private
If you have to take a personal call on your cell phone while you’re at work, try to find a place away from your co-workers so you can have your conversation in private without disturbing others. Try using a break room or unoccupied conference room, or step outside. Most people don’t want to hear a conversation between you and your significant other, children, doctor, or bank.

When you’re unable to step away from your work area to take your phone call, keep your voice down. This will keep your conversation private and limit the distractions for others by not drawing attention to yourself.

4) Keep it out of the restroom
Don’t use your cell phone in the restroom as a private or convenient place to make a call. No one wants to hear your conversation while they’re in the bathroom, and chances are, the person on the receiving end of your call doesn’t want to hear flushing toilets or running water.

Respect the privacy of others and keep your cell phone conversations out of the bathroom. End your call before you go into the restroom, offer to return the phone call later, or find a better-suited place for you to make your call.

5) Don’t use your phone during meetings
Using your cell phone during meetings will only distract you from the conversation and make you appear uninterested or disrespectful. If you’re headed off to a meeting, keep your cell phone at your desk and turn it off or use the silent mode. It’s okay to keep your cell phone in your briefcase or purse, but make sure you won’t be tempted to pull it out and use it.

If you’re expecting an important phone call while you’re in a meeting, make sure to notify your co-workers that you’re expecting a call and that you may need to step outside to answer it. Only do this in emergency situations, keep your phone on vibrate, and exit the meeting before you begin your conversation.

Whether we’re at home or work, cell phones give us the capability to keep in touch with family, friends, and co-workers. You can use your cell phone at home however you wish, but while you’re at work, make sure to follow your employer’s guidelines for cell phone use, and be respectful of others even if your employer doesn’t provide rules. Then, practice workplace cell phone etiquette by using these five guidelines to maintain a professional image.

Job Interviews The Job Search

Dial me This: Questions to Ask in a Phone Interview

By Jared Cole on Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Let’s face it. Getting a job isn’t a walk in the park. With such a high number of people looking for work, more employers are trying to find ways of narrowing down their applicant pool. One increasingly popular method is the phone interview. This helps employers save time and resources by weeding out unqualified or unsuitable candidates.

The phone interview may seem like a great idea for some job seekers, but it’s more than just answering questions while still wearing your pajamas. There’s still a lot of preparation needed to excel at this type of job interview because it is just as important as a typical face-to-face interview.

One of the most frequently asked questions to Movin’ On Up is what to ask during a phone interview. Some questions that work for regular interviews might not for an initial phone screening. But which ones do you ask? Here are some guidelines on what to ask during a phone interview.

Don’t be a Time Guzzler
Phone interviews are generally quick and to the point. They typically don’t last as long as normal in-person meetings, so it’s not the time for idle chit chat. Make sure your questions are quick and to the point. Employers often schedule several phone interviews in a short period of time, so taking too much time runs the risk of cutting into other applicants’ interview times, which could reflect poorly on you.

While there is no set number of questions to ask, consider asking prior to the call how long you can anticipate the call being. Try limiting yourself to three to five questions. Good phone interview questions clarify job duties or inquire about the workplace structure. They shouldn’t be very in-depth and require a lot of discussion. Just prove that you’ve done your homework and show your interest in the employer.

What Not to Ask
Things like benefits, hours, or job salary may be important to you and affect your decision making, but there will be plenty of time to talk about them if you move forward. The phone interview is typically to clarify key points before the next step in the process. If it comes up, answer and ask. Don’t just start those conversations.

Phone interview questions need to be short and to the point, because the interviewers will often make decisions based on what you ask. Make sure your questions couldn’t easily be found on the employer’s website. This gives the impression that you’re ill prepared. Instead, try asking questions that demonstrate your preparedness. Start questions with, “so, I noticed on your website that…”

Ask Away
You may want to ask some specific questions relevant to the position or employer. It’s best to ask behavioral or open-ended questions. Here are some examples of questions you could ask:
•   Who would this position report to?
•   What are the daily responsibilities of this position?
•   What is the hiring process like?
•   How would you describe the company culture?
•   How are you evaluating candidates?

Asking About the Future
There’s one important question you should ask at the end of an interview. Find out about the next steps and the employer’s timeline for getting back to you. That way, you’ll know when to expect to hear back from the employer, and you won’t be sitting around waiting for more information, wondering why they haven’t called back or sent a letter.

It’s better to confirm the next steps in as much detailed as possible. Assume a more active role and try to get a commitment from the interviewer on when you’ll be contacted and what happens next. Try not to settle for “we’ll let you know,” but for a more specific plan of action.

By using these helpful hints on what to ask during a phone interview, you will improve your chances of getting more offers, and you will also feel more empowered and prepared throughout the hiring process. What are some of your favorite questions to ask during a phone interview? If you’ve had any phone interview experiences, share them in the comments section below.

Job Interviews Resumes and Cover Letters The Job Search

Smart Phone Apps for a Smarter Job Search

By Jared Cole on Monday, December 19, 2011

In a job market that is becoming increasingly competitive, having an advantage is crucial to finding a job quickly. The job market is constantly changing and seekers have to be ready for opportunities at a moment’s notice. To be successful, more job chasers need their professional networks and materials when at home or on the go.

With current hiring trends evolving, technology can easily give you access to social networks, job listings, and powerful tools to help you stay connected to people and opportunities with the push of a button. Smart phones are becoming more common every day and can be a powerful source when looking for a job. Here are some apps for your phone that can better prepare you for your job search and give you the upper hand on the competition.

Refresh That Résumé

Resume App: (iTunes®)Resume App will help you design, build, and create a custom and professional looking résumé in a PDF format that you can send to potential employers from your phone.
Pocket Resume: (iTunes)(Android™) Pocket Resume is one of the best-selling résumé apps on the market. It uses a unique PDF rendering technology to create professional résumés that can be updated and emailed from your phone.

Never Stop Networking

SnapDat Digital Business Cards🙁iTunes) SnapDat is an amazing app on the iPhone® that allows you to create custom digital business cards. You can create unlimited business cards that are fully customizable that can be emailed to a potential employer or new contact.
Business Card Reader: (iTunes)(Android) Business card readers allow you to scan a new contact’s number and automatically put their information in your phone’s address book. This way you’ll never have to search your house looking for a contact’s email or worry about finding a phone number when you’re not at home.
BeKnown: (iTunes)(Android) BeKnown, powered by Monster.com, is a professional networking app on Facebook. Catch the buzz by easily tapping into new professional opportunities anywhere, anytime, by staying on top of what your professional contacts are doing while meeting new ones.

Find Those Jobs

JobCompass: (iTunes)(Android) JobCompass uses your phone’s GPS to find available job openings in your area. It also gives you job descriptions and allows you to apply directly through your phone.
JobAware: (iTunes) JobAware searches for jobs in your area, tracks your progress through the application process, offers salary comparisons for several occupations, and integrates with your LinkedIn account to get updates and advice from your network and career professionals.
Jobs – by CareerBuilder: (iTunes)(Android) With the CareerBuilder app, you can instantly search one of the largest job opening websites in the U.S., easily and straight from your phone for free.
Monster.com Jobs: (iTunes)(Android) The Monster Job Search app lets you access your Monster account while on the go so you can apply to the latest job openings from your mobile device no matter where you are.

Interview Improvement

What Color is your Parachute?🙁iTunes) An app based on the best-selling job hunting guide, “What Color is Your Parachute?” gives insightful tips on how to stand out, nail the interview, and land the job.
Interview Pro: (iTunes) Interview Pro provides more than 80 job interview questions and answers ranging from communication skills to team dynamics.
Interview Buzz Pro: (iTunes)(Android) Interview Buzz Pro not only provides more than 300 questions and answers to prepare you for your next interview, but it also offers additional features like instructions on how to tie a necktie and the option to add comments to interview questions to help you prepare.

When looking for a job, we all want a leg up on the competition. Sometimes, you may not know when a job opportunity arises, or you’re away from your home or computer. The next time you need your résumé or professional information in a hurry, you’ll be prepared for it. What are some apps that have helped you in your job search?