Telephone interviews

With the increase in call centres and other telephone-based businesses more and more companies are choosing to use telephone interviews to check the telephone manner and skills of potential staff.

Take it seriously. A telephone interview is the very best way to check on a candidate's abilities, especially where telephone manner and customer contact are key parts of the job (such as call and contact centres). Role play might be used to assess your strengths and weaknesses.

If you use your mobile make sure it is fully charged and you have plenty of credit.

Make the call from somewhere quiet and private, where you won’t be disturbed.

Have the job advert and your CV in front of you. You might need to refer to these during the interview.

Smile! Although they can’t see you, smiling will help you relax and sound more friendly and positive. Standing up during the call can also help you feel more confident.

Listen carefully and speak clearly. If you need a moment to think before replying to a question let the person on the other end know – don’t rush or go silent.

Prepare some questions about the job and company in advance. This shows motivation and real interest.

Have some paper and a pen ready to take down any information you are given and questions you are asked. You might be asked the same things if invited to a face-to-face second interview.

Practice the ‘tough questions’ – just as you would for a face-to-face interview. Ask a friend to play the part of the interviewer. See the section Tackling the tough interview questions.

End the call on a positive note. Thank the interviewer and express an interest in the opportunity.