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Browse published articles attributed to Peggy McKee, with full-archive search.
You have much more power over your phone interview than you probably think you do, including when to schedule it. If you can exercise that power, please do so.
We are looking for someone with experience…or, You don’t have enough experience—why should we hire you?
As painful as looking for a new job can sometimes be, job seekers often overlook the simplest way to make the search easier: work with a recruiter. A recruiter can ease the pain of the search in several ways: she has contacts you can only dream of, she knows where the jobs are that you probably won't, and she will help you prepare for interviews with inside knowledge of the company and an objective eye for you. However, sometimes there are misconceptions about recruiters that cause a candidate to question the process.
How many jobs have you applied to online—only to receive no response? Or maybe you received a “thanks but no thanks” letter. Either way, you aren’t making much progress in landing a job. If this applies to you, I have a question: Do you have a LinkedIn profile?
Tell me about a time when you failed. The key to answering the failure question is that you can’t say you’ve never failed. I know you probably really want to, because you don’t want to be seen in a bad light. But you can’t. And it’s OK.
What would you do first at this job? When they ask you this question in the job interview, they want to get a picture of how you would be in the role. How you answer tells them about your personality and your work style. Do you attack it from day one? Do you take it all in and analyze it first?
Tell me your life story (more of your personal history). Hiring managers want to find out as much as they can about you in the interview. It’s a little bit of a risk management thing. The more they know, the less likely they’ll make a mistake by extending you a job offer. But even if they ask you to specifically reveal more of your personal history, it’s still very important that you remember that your focus is not to make a new best friend here…it’s to get a job. For that reason, here’s how you want to talk about your personal story in the interview:
What would your manager say was the area you needed most development in? This question might also sound like, “What would your boss say you need to improve on?” No doubt about it…impressing your boss is always important, and we all have things about ourselves that we could improve on. But, as with all job interview questions, you must be thoughtful and strategic with how you answer it.
For companies, the phone interview is a screening process. The hiring manager or human resources manager has a stack of resumes of potential candidates sitting in front of them, and their job is to wade through the stack and get it to a manageable number. Many candidates don’t realize just how much they are under the microscope in a phone interview and how closely the company is looking for a reason to eliminate them from the stack. Your job is to stay in the stack, or to qualify for the face-to-face interview. Show them you’re worth spending the time to talk to.
Phone interviews are really phone screens. They are screening candidates, narrowing down a list that’s too long, figuring out who to invite in for a face-to-face interview. So really, in a phone interview, they’re looking for reasons to mark you off the list—to screen you out. Your job in phone interview is to keep them from eliminating you, so you can get to the face-to-face interview. How can you keep them from screening you out? The answer might surprise you.
I noticed that you are applying for a position that is not as senior as your past positions. Why would you consider a job that is, in effect, a demotion for you? This is a question you might get asked early on in the process, like in a phone interview. If you have a lot of experience, it’s going to be obvious that you’re overqualified. So the question is, ‘Why would you take a job that’s less than what you’re qualified for?’ rnr
What type of work environment do you prefer? The best answer to this job interview question of what work environment do you prefer is the same answer you’d give to “What’s your ideal job?” The correct answer is: “This one.” Of course, you need to respond with the type of work environment that they have, or at least close to it, or you’re not going to get the job. But, you don’t just want to get the offer, you want to get a job that fits you as well.
For such a short conversation, phone interviews are a surprisingly wide-open opportunity for screw-ups. Why is that? Partly, it’s because in a phone interview, the interviewer is really looking for mistakes. Telephone interviews are a screening process—a way to weed out too many candidates. So they’re looking for reasons to mark you off the list. Here are the biggest ways to make that happen: Failing to Prepare for the Interviewr
The days when a young college grad could start with a great company and settle in for a 30-year promotion-filled career with them are gone. Not only do we job-hop from company to company these days, more and more of us career-hop….but that’s where it gets tricky. Career-hopping in mid-life brings a unique set of challenges for the job candidate. It can be done, and done well. Older candidates can bring experience, good judgment, and stability to a position, but there are a few negative stereotypes you might have to overcome before you land the job.
Tell us about a time that you went against corporate directives. Why? How did it turn out? I once did a survey of job seekers as part of my mock interview program, asking them to give me actual questions they’ve been asked in job interviews, and this was one of the responses. I almost couldn’t believe it. This is not a normal or typical interview question. To me, this is a little like saying, “Tell me about the last time you shoplifted.”
How do you deal with stressful situations? If I got asked about how I deal with stressful situations, the first thing that would pop into my head is, “You mean like this one?” (Job interviews are very, very stressful. The way you deal with that stress is recognizing that it’s going to be stressful, preparing for the interview as much as possible, and taking a few deep relaxing breaths before you start.) But now is not the time to make that joke. My philosophy is ‘never let them see you sweat.’rnr
What are your workplace values? Asking about your workplace values is similar to asking “What is your work ethic?” Or, “What are your workplace ethics?” They want to know what kind of person you are. What matters to you?
How long would you plan to stay with us? Asking about your future plans in this way is really not asking you about your future plans. You don’t have to go into your 5-year life plan or your career goals. It’s a brief question that requires only a brief answer. Personally, my response to that question would be “How long would you like me to stay?”
Even though your interviewer can’t see you, using the right body language in your phone interview will help you to have a better outcome. Smiler One of the simplest things you can do to project confidence and enthusiasm over the phone is to smile while you talk. It’s amazing what smiling does to the sound of your voice. You sound friendlier. You sound more relaxed. It’s all good. Stand Upr
In any job interview, it’s important to use your best manners—and telephone interviews are no exception. Besides your resume, this is their first impression of you. Make it a great one by being super-polite and professional. Set Up Your Space for Quietr Nothing says “I don’t care about this phone interview” more than having it in a noisy space where you are constantly distracted. It’s better to put off the call until a later time rather than trying to talk over interruptions. Make sure you have a quiet space to talk with no distractions. Address the Interviewer by Namer
Where do you see yourself in 5 years? In other words, are you going to bail on them in a few months for another job, or are you going to stick around and make their training and investment in you pay off? Is this a stepping stone on your career path, or is this a job to pay the bills until you can do what you really want to do?
Career Coaching If you’re in the job search, you have certainly heard advice about job boards, networking, or even temporary work. But have you ever considered a career coach as a path to a new job? When I say “Career Coach,” I do not mean the kind of life coach who helps you decide what you should do with your life. Don’t get me wrong, they have their place, but what I’m talking about is a coach who helps you with your career: finding and getting a job that will help you further your career goals.
Resume Blasts I included resume blasts on my Fastest Way to Find a Job Series not because I like them, but because some job seekers think these are the way to go, and I have a better alternative.
Even if you’ve got all the big factors covered for your phone interview (quiet spot, landline, preparation), there are still some pretty small phone interview mistakes that will get you screened out and marked off their short list. Sometimes it doesn’t take much….phone interviews are real tipping points in the process, and even seemingly insignificant factors can tilt the scale. Some of these mistakes will surprise you. Drinking a glass of water with ice (or anything with ice)r
What do you consider to be your most significant accomplishment? This is a fantastic job interview question. It sets you up to shine a giant spotlight on yourself as the ideal candidate for this job. Never, ever answer this question by talking about something you achieved or accomplished outside of work. No stories about your kids, or how you climbed Mount Everest. Always focus your answer on work-related accomplishments.
Job Shadowing Job shadowing is ideal for college students as they graduate, but it’s not just for the kids. Anytime you’re transitioning into a new field (either by choice or because you were laid off), a job shadowing experience can give you a big boost in your job search. Why should you job shadow? It helps you see if you will really like that field before you invest the time and energy into getting yourself there. It helps you build your network because you’ll meet people as you go through your day (or week, in some cases).
What was your least favorite part of your last job? Why does the hiring manager want to know about your least favorite part of your last job? Because they want to find out more about you, and they are hoping to uncover any potential weaknesses or problems before they hire you. What you say and the way you say it will tell them a lot more than you think.
In every interview, whether it’s a phone interview or a face-to-face interview, it is absolutely, critically important to ask questions. Why? (1) It makes you seem more engaged and interested in the job. No hiring manager wants to hire someone who isn’t going to be excited about working there. (2) It makes you seem more intelligent—if you ask good questions. Don’t ask questions you could easily find the answers to on Google. (3) It gives you a strategic advantage. Ask good questions, and you can easily find out what the interviewer really cares about. Focus your conversation and answer
Think you can talk on the phone anywhere? That might be true if you’re discussing dinner plans, but it is not true for your phone interview. For that, you have to choose your location carefully. Why? Because this phone conversation is the gate you have to pass through to get to your face-to-face interview. If you don’t do well here, there is no face-to-face interview, which means there is no job. This is a critical tipping point in the interview process.
Have you ever heard the saying, “It’s not what you know…it’s WHO you know”? That’s not entirely true, but there’s a healthy-enough grain of truth in that statement to make networking a very powerful strategy for your job search.
What have you been doing since you got laid off? I know…this job interview question makes you want to roll your eyes. The painfully obvious answer is, “I’ve been trying to find a new job!” But you can’t say that. Why would they ask you this question? It turns out, they have several good reasons for asking. There are a lot of questions behind this question, and if you know what they are, you can answer it more effectively. Here’s what they’re really asking:
What were your responsibilities in your last job? Your answer to this question about your job responsibilities depends entirely on the role you played in your last job. What were your major responsibilities? You want to list those out.
Companies you’ve interviewed with before Companies you’ve interviewed with before but never worked for are a place to network that most people don’t think about. It’s really overlooked. It won’t work for everyone, but it will work for some and it will be extremely fruitful. Let me give you an example: I interviewed with Fisher Diagnostics back in 1996 for a product management role in Houston, Texas. And actually, they also offered me another role within Fisher in a different area at the same time. But I didn’t end up taking either job. I took a job with Chiron instead.
Why research the interviewer before your phone interview? Look at it this way: The job interview is a sales process in which you are both the product and the sales rep. One of the first rules of sales is “Know Your Customer.” You can’t sell effectively unless you know a little something about your customer. How annoying is it to have a sales rep come up to sell you something without even asking a few questions about your problems or issues? They have no idea what you’re interested in, so they’re not effective. The same principle is at work in the interview process.
How do you handle stress and pressure on the job? Hmmm….how DO you handle on-the-job pressure? - I cry, yell, or complain. - I hide in the bathroom. - I love stress! It’s so motivating! - I don’t get stressed. Obviously, they want your answer to be (c) or (d)…either one works. Either you get some kind of adrenaline high off of the pressure and perform better, or you maintain a Zen-like calm and don’t ever get stressed out.
How do I know you still have the ‘fire in the belly’ to do this job? If you’re of a ‘certain age’ in the job search, you already know that age is a big issue. It’s a very real obstacle to getting a job. Older workers have a reputation of not being up on the latest technology, not being willing to adapt, not being willing to take orders from younger bosses, and not having the energy or motivation to keep up with a heavy work schedule. That’s what this ‘fire in the belly’ question is really asking: Are you still motivated to work hard?
What are your phone interview goals? The bottom-line goal of any phone interview is getting the invitation to come in for a face-to-face. That’s the whole point of a phone interview. Your goal in this interview is not the job. It’s the next interview. The phone interview is a screening process to weed out too many candidates and narrow down the time spent doing in-person interviews. Even though getting to the face-to-face interview is your biggest goal of the day, there are several smaller goals to aim for that will help you get to that big one.
What’s the point of a phone interview? A phone interview is an inexpensive, time-saving way to determine whether or not you are worth the time, effort, and expense of a face-to-face interview. That’s it. For the employer, it’s a screening process: Do you merit further consideration? For you, it’s an obstacle: How can you get past this phone interview and get to the face-to-face?
Here’s a secret: There’s really only so many interview questions you can ask. Some hiring managers like to break out of the rut and ask crazy things to catch you off guard, like “What kind of tree would you be?”, but most of the time they tend to ask the same kinds of questions. There’s just basic information that they all need to know in order to make the decision to hire you. So what you need to know is what questions they’re most likely to ask you so you can be ready to answer them. What are the most typical phone interview questions?
How long will it take for you to make a significant contribution? I love, love, love this question. This is a ‘roll out the red carpet, here’s your golden ticket’ opening to introducing your 30-60-90-day plan.
What kind of money would you be interested in making? Hiring managers always want to know how much you’re going to cost them, so they will ask the salary question a hundred different ways: “How much did you make at your last job?” “What are your salary expectations?” Or this one, “How much money do you want to make?” As much as you would like to say, “I’m interested in making as much money as I can!”, you can’t say that. Even if it’s true. (Wouldn’t we all?)
What happens if you talk too much in a phone interview? Or related to that, you offer up Too Much Information? Both show poor communication skills that could keep you from getting the invitation to the face-to-face. It’s important that you know how much to talk and what to say to have a successful telephone interview.
What are some of your greatest and/or proudest accomplishments? This is a great job interview question, but a lot of people don’t do it or themselves justice when they answer it. One of the worst mistakes people make is that they will say that their greatest or proudest accomplishment is something that matters to them personally, like their two kids. It doesn’t matter if your kids are saints who never fight, spend their weekends feeding the poor, and have just won the Nobel prize…that’s still the wrong answer.
How do athletes win championships? Practice. How do violin students become virtuosos? Practice. How do you get better at interviews? Practice. Interviewing is not a talent. It is a skill. Most people don’t get a chance to spend much time honing that skill, because most of us don’t interview that often. It takes time spent doing something to get really good at it. The good news is that to be impressive in a job interview, you don’t have to put in the hours and hours that a Olympic athlete or an award-winning musician would. But a little practice goes a long way.
Are you going to have your phone interview conversation on a landline or on a cell phone? I personally think you should always, always use a landline. The sound quality of the conversation is better, there’s no risk of dropping the call, and there’s never any questions like, “Can you hear me now?” This is such an important conversation that anything at all you can do to reduce the risk of a problem is a very good idea.
What will you do if you don’t get this position? This question is mostly likely to be asked when you’re interviewing for an internal promotion. You’re probably going up against other candidates in the company, and maybe even some external candidates, too. They’re worried about how you’ll take it if you don’t get the job, and they want to know if you’re more interested in the good of the company or just in your own career advancement.
How have you responded to a colleague who is putting you down at work? This is a pretty specific question, but it’s basically just another version of “How do you react in difficult situations?” This type of question is often asked in one version or another in behavioral interview situations. Employers want to get a sense of your judgment and decision-making abilities. Your answer here gives them a good idea of how you react to stress.
YouTube Posting a video on YouTube to try to find a job might sound like a desperate, last ditch effort, but think again. If you’re on LinkedIn, Facebook, Google Plus, or other social media networks, why wouldn’t you be on YouTube? There are lots of things you can do on YouTube that you just can’t do through anything else. A picture is worth a thousand words, right? Maybe a video is worth ten thousand. So what can you do on YouTube to find a job fast?
What will you contribute to this job? This job interview question is very similar to “Why should we hire you?” Or, “Why do we want you over the other candidates?” The job interview is a sales process in which you are the product and the hiring manager and company is the buyer. Your salary is the price of the product, you and your skill sets. It’s fair for them to ask, “What are we going to get for our money?”
Alumni Organizations Alumni organizations are great networking resources for you, which means they are also great resources to help you find a job.