[MUSIC] This module brings us to the end of our lessons on interviewing techniques. In the next course, you'll learn about writing resumes, cover letters, and other business documents. But this module closes out the three courses in the specialization on job interviewing. In this module, you'll learn how to succeed on a phone interview. Now, you might be wondering why we waited until the last module for this. Here, you see the overall hiring process you learned about in the first course. And here, you see the phone interview, it's the second step in the process for most recruiters after they vet your resume. So why are we waiting until the end of the third course to give you strategies for the phone interview? The reason is this. Phone interviews are just as important, if not more so, than face-to-face interviews. Experienced recruiters may interview as many as 50 candidates a week over the phone. One recruiter estimated that 75 to 80% of the people he talked to could be eliminated by a phone screening. So the phone screen is a narrow door, a door you want to make sure you get through. Phone interviews call for all the skills you've learned up to this point. All your planning, your system, your research, the work you've done with your voice, the work you've done with your accomplishments journal, your story file, your pitch sheets, your various response strategies. All that comes into play in a phone interview. The phone interview occurs early in the process. Still, it's your first conversation with the hiring organization. And like any first conversation, this is your chance to make a great first impression. This is your chance to show the interviews that you are as good in person as you look on paper, that you'd be a good person to join the organization. And remember, just like an in person interview, a phone interview is a conversation. It's not a trial, it's not an interrogation, it's not a question and answer contest. It's a business conversation, and as such, you want to be a good conversation partner. So what makes a good conversation partner? Well, first and foremost, you have to be a good listener. The old adage of having two ears and one mouth can serve you well here. You don't learn from talking, you learn from listening. Listening means giving the person on the other end of the phone your full attention. Avoid doing unrelated activities while you're on the call. No multitasking, no texting, no web browsing, full attention. Your nerves and eagerness to make a good impression can work against you on the telephone. This advice from Paul Bailo, CEO of Phone Interview Pro and author of the Essential Phone Interview Handbook, comes from his years of experience. Think carefully about the questions you're asked and take your time before you answer. Bailo also advises that you ignore advice you might have heard to look in a mirror. When you look in a mirror, you become too focused on your own reflection. Instead, try to visualize the person you're talking to. And remind yourself that you're talking to a live person. A person with a business need that you want to help meet. The success of a phone interview begins with mental preparation and setting the stage with the interviewer. Make sure you schedule the interview at a time when you can be free of interruptions and distractions. Avoid using your lunch hour. Instead, schedule the interview for a time of day when your mental powers are at their best. Being clear on the interview format will give you an edge in preparation, it helps to know the topics to be covered in the interview, the objectives to be obtained, and the basic information regarding the position to be discussed. These are questions that you can ask via email before the interview. As you've learned throughout this specialization, try to think like the employer. What key information is the interviewer looking for, what questions? Is he or she likely to ask? What questions do you hope are not asked? You can apply the techniques of covert rehearsal from course one to practice for these questions. As you practice, visualize the phone interview and anticipate what follow up questions the interviewer might ask. It's also a good idea to prepare for possible scenarios that might unfold. Hypothesize a bit. Suppose the interviewer asks a question that makes you feel uncomfortable? How will you handle that? Suppose the interviewer rambles or is easily sidetracked and doesn't allow you to sell yourself. How will you handle that? If the interviewer rambles, he or she is typically somewhat new to the game but it can happen. You can use phrases like these to politely interrupt and gently take control of the conversation. Then target the pertinent issues you want to address. It's possible you will have difficulty hearing. Perhaps the connection is bad, perhaps the interviewer has an accent that you have difficulty understanding. If you're a non-native speaker of English it's easy for you to believe that you're at fault, but that's not necessarily the case. Conversational breakdowns happen between native speakers, as well. A simple question like that shown here is perfectly normal between speakers. It's a polite way or repairing a conversational breakdown. So do not be afraid to use it. Better that than guessing what the interviewer said and responding with something off topic. It is, of course, important that you do not ramble, and that you speak with a clear voice. Your voice is how the interviewer will perceive you. This advice also comes from Paul Bilo. Your initial voice impression on the phone is the equivalent of the first impression you make in a face to face meeting. You want to sound strong and confident from the start. George Walter, a leading consultant on the subject of improving telephone interview effectiveness, says that, quote, 98% of business executives can assess a candidate's personality after 13 seconds with no visual information, end quote. Furthermore, the initial voice impression you make, tends to be reinforced by the content of the conversation. This phenomenon parallels what research has shown happens in face to face interviews. An interviewer evaluates you based on first impressions. And then, uses the content of the remaining interview, to reinforce those first impressions. Making a strong first impression in a face to face interview comes from solid preparation. In a telephone interview, the principle is the same. Preparation helps reduce your stress level, makes you feel more confident and helps you be at your best. Only by being well-prepared, can you convey a strong first impression. In the next lesson, you'll learn how to build on that impression to convey a winning phone personality. [MUSIC]
