Round Two... The Phone Interview!

(photo thanks to http://www.stockvault.net/)

I am very excited to announce that I have a phone interview next week. With the current economy, I resigned myself to the fact that finding a job would take some time. Much to my surprise, my resume made it through round one (screening of resume and cover letter) and into the phone interview phase at a new destination resort and day spa. A soon as I was notified, I asked myself, now what?

Some quick research provided me with the confidence I needed. Come to find out, there are several things that can really make you stand out among other phone interviewees. The best way to leave an impression after the interview is to prepare for the call.

How do you prepare?
1. Be at least 99.9% sure you will be able to take the call at the scheduled time.
2. Plan in advance to be in a quiet place where you can concentrate.
3. Read the job description and understand what it entails.
4. Have your resume and cover letter in front of you along with paper and a pen for note taking.
5. Allow your personality to show but also keep in mind, this is an interview.
6. Have a few questions for the interviewer, click here for some really great ones

The phone interview is conducted as a step to narrow down the number of candidates for the job. It is not normal for one to be hired from a phone interview. There will usually be one to three in person interviews following your favorable impression on the hiring manager during your phone interview.

Relax just a little bit; your resume has made it past the initial taking out of the trash. Now you can see if you are a good fit for the job, the environment, and the expectations. The hiring manager is checking for these same things. Use the interview as an opportunity to gauge whether or not you think you will love waking up in the morning to this job!