Beforehand

Ensure that your contact information is accurate on your CV/when filling out an application form! Many employers reject candidates who provide inaccurate contact details.

Find out as much as you can about the company and the job you have applied for.

Consider possible questions you could be asked and give some thought as to what answers you will give.

Practice your telephone interview technique with a friend - get them to ring you up and ‘interview you’. Alternatively, use a cassette recorder to record yourself giving answers to potential questions. Do you tend to stutter? Do you ‘um’ and ‘ah’? Do you speak too quickly? Taping yourself speaking can highlight any problem areas which you can then work on to improve.

Make a note of any questions you would like to ask.

Have your CV, details of the job you have applied for, any relevant notes, a pad, a pen and your diary close to hand.

You may be asked to call the interviewer, at an arranged time. Alternatively, they may ring you - either at an arranged time or out of the blue.

If you will be taking the call on a cordless phone or mobile, ensure that the batteries are fully charged.

If you don’t know what time you will be telephoned:

• Make anyone else who may answer the phone aware that you are expecting the call.
• Ensure that your answerphone message is professional.
• Disable the call-waiting feature on your telephone, if you have it active.

The Interview

If you have been asked to call at a specific time, call at exactly the right time. If you can't get through (ie the recruiter’s line is busy), leave a message with the person you speak to/voicemail to show that you called at the right time. Ask when the manager is expected to be free, and try again then. Repeat the same procedure until you make contact.

Research has shown that people tend to sound more professional when standing upright (as opposed to when lying curled up in an armchair)!

Ideally, take the call on a landline. If you must take the call on a cordless or mobile phone, move to a quiet area with the best reception. Don’t keep walking around and don’t take the call outside.

If you are taking the call on your landline, switch off your mobile phone or put it on mute.

Switch off TV/radio/any machinery making any kind of background noise.

Answer the telephone professionally eg Good Morning/Afternoon/Evening, Firstname Lastname speaking’.

Stay calm and smile.

Act as professionally as you would at a face-to-face interview.

Use the person’s title (eg Mr Smith) and only use their first name if they ask you to.

Never place the interviewer on speaker-phone.

Speak clearly and into the mouthpiece.

Do not eat, drink, smoke or chew gum.

Don’t use slang or bad language.

Never interrupt or talk over the interviewer.

If you really have to cough or sneeze during the interview, say ‘excuse me’ afterwards.

Don’t panic and rush - it’s fine to take a moment or two to collect your thoughts before answering a question.

If you have finished answering a question, but the interviewer has not yet asked you another one, don’t fill the silence with garbled chatter. Wait patiently for the interviewer - he or she might be discussing something with colleagues or co-interviewers.

Listen carefully.

Always wait for the interviewer to finish asking the question before giving your answer.

Avoid giving simply ‘yes’ or ‘no’ replies.

Thank the interviewer for their time at the end of the call.

Ask what the next step is and when you are likely to hear if you have been successful.

After the interview, jot down the interviewer’s name and any relevant notes, such as any questions you asked and the replies given.