How to Ace the Phone Interview

Phone interviews are now a common hiring practice by recruiters and companies in the process of winnowing down the applicants for a position. These can be difficult because so much of the interaction between the candidate and interviewer is dependent upon body language and personal presence, neither of which is part of the phone interview.

Here are several ways to nail the phone interview:

1. Briefly introduce yourself, providing a short recap of your background and accomplishments.

2. Speak clearly. You don't want the interviewer to ask you to speak up or repeat yourself---or worse, not hear what you are saying.

3. Use a friendly, upbeat tone of voice.

4. Emphasize your interest in the position.

5. Have your resume in front of you for reference.

6  Conduct the interview in a quiet place where there will be no interruptions.

7. Have notes ready to answer any probable questions. Keep notes during the interview so you can refer to them later in your personal interview and follow-up "thank you" note.

8. Print out reference materials and keep them handy.

9.  Pause before speaking . . . and don't interrupt the interviewer.

10. Thank your interviewer for their time and interest---and say goodbye in a professional way.

11. Prepare for the interview by reading the job description thoroughly beforehand, researching the company and its competitors, and preparing questions to ask.