There are a few, Spartan like people, who breeze through telephone interviews as easy as popping bubble wrap.

When I was invited for a telephone interview, I thought I'd be one of those people. I already was 'gifted' on the telephone, I can spend hours chatting away. However, it probably comes as no surprise that it was not as easy as I thought. 

My personal experience of a telephone interview is this…

Dressing Smart

This interview was on my day off, so my typical attire would be my onesie and slippers; however, I felt it very important to wear something rather smart. Yes, the interviewer wouldn't be able to see if I had decided to wear a chicken costume; but it was important for me to remember that this was an interview, and I needed to take it seriously. What you wear does affect the way you compose yourself, and even how you speak

Talking with my hands

I'm one of these strange, thespian types who talk with their hands, and I rely on gestures for a lot of my expression - so sitting still in my interview made me feel too stiff to get my personality across. I opted to walking around in order to relax a bit more, burn off a bit of the anxiety and be more natural.

My Facial Expression

But the most difficult thing in my telephone interview was the inability to see the facial expressions of my interviewer. After my answer, I was unsure whether they wanted me to continue talking, if he was taking notes or if he just didn't find my attempt at humour funny. I put this down to nerves, and would advise anyone not to panic if there seems to be an extended silence; if you are happy with your answer, do not attempt to babble!

4 years on, I conduct and train people how to telephone interview, and maybe I am more lenient from my own personal experience. Here are some top tips for anyone about to have their very first telephone interview:

Use a notepad

Prior to the interview make some notes for questions to ask or some good points to include in your answer.

Quiet environment

Your interviewer doesn't want to strain to hear your answers, and more importantly you need to hear the questions.

Don't get too comfortable

If you're at home don't be tempted to be interviewed in bed. This is an interview, so compose yourself and think professional.

Show your personality

It will be hard for the interviewer to gauge your personality, so don't be afraid to be chatty and ask questions.

Smile

they can't see your smile, but they may be able to gather from the tone of your voice if you are smiling.

Good luck! If you need a hand with anything just message us or use the hashtag #AskGetMyFirstJob

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