A client may elect to begin their interview process with a telephone interview, prior to scheduling a face-to-face interview.

The telephone interview step is principally used by clients who are out-of-town and thus wish to gauge the candidate prospects prior to their travel to the interview city. The client wishes to select a minimum of two to three candidates to justify their travel cost and their aspiration that the travel will result in a “right-fit” selection and offer.

The telephone interview can be a challenging test for the candidate.

The candidate has only three tools to maximize in order to succeed in earning the “ticket” to the next interview process step, the face-to-face interview. These components are:

RESUME ~
A resume is needed that is rich in chronological detail exhibiting education and professional experience with job titles, dates and accomplishments in each job position. You are not limited to one page in the quest for clarity to those who wish to easily comprehend your talent and successes, and the client’s ability to imagine how your previous successes can translate into the client’s organizational future successes.

RECRUITER PRESENTATION ~
As with the resume, the recruiter’s strong presentation will assist in presenting fully your strengths and “right-fit” qualities to the client. This targeted explanation will translate into the client’s search for an impact “new hire” who will make the hiring authority and the company better for landing the best “player” (candidate).

CANDIDATE’S TELEPHONE SKILLS ~
The third critical component of the telephone interview is the candidate’s telephone skills. Beyond answering and asking insightful questions to validate the resume and the recruiter’s presentation, the candidate must sell the client through voice, sound-bite attention “getters”, and an “ask-for-the-job” closing. The candidate does not have the luxury of visuals (his best tie, her best dress), body language, accentuating hand gestures, magnetic eye contact, a pleasing smile or sharp business-like appearance.

The candidate’s strong voice inflection, exuberant tone, high-energy enthusiasm, optimism, “brimming to get-the-job-done” and “busting at the seams for a new opportunity” messages are the foremost ingredients in earning a face-to-face interview and eventually the job.

Even the best resume with “right-fit” job correlation and the greatest recruiter presentation can fail if the candidate uses a low-energy, short-answer responses, comatose voice inflection, “you (the client) would be lucky to get me” attitude, or a lack of enthusiasm.

Consider, if you were doing the hiring and two candidates were judged to have equal experience and skills, would you hire the most energetic, “just put me in the game, Coach”, “I will prove I will be a significant contributor if hired” candidate, or the other candidate who you ask on the telephone to “speak-up” or “are you still on the line”.

In summary, the “telephone interview” candidate must be professional, answer questions fully (not too short but not too wordy) and convince the client to schedule you for the face-to-face interview through:

• Voice energy
• Enthusiasm…
• And closing…

The chemistry the client feels the candidate will bring to his/her team is many times the deciding factor in the hiring decision. High-energy, enthusiasm and “closing hard” are your tools to maximize in earning a face-to-face interview and ultimately the next exciting era of your career.