Here’s a phone interview tip worth considering:  smile.  A smile is a magic thing, and in addition to being seen in person it can be felt from a distance.  When doing a phone interview, don’t think that because the person on the other end of the phone can’t see you that smiling and other positive body gestures are not important.  The best interview tip that anyone was ever given was to smile and make positive gestures.  In fact, many people talk with their hands.  If you do, consider a telephone head set to free your hands up.

Another tip that will be worth its weight in gold is to have a good quality telephone.  It may seem silly to even mention it, but the better quality phone you use, the better your voice will sound.  Years ago everyone rented his or her telephones from the local utility phone company.  These days people own their own phones, and while many people use good quality phones, many use the ten and fifteen-dollar phones they’ve found in the local dollar store or discount mart.  Those phones are fine for talking to your spouse perhaps, but for business use make a good business impression, and use a good phone.  Add this tip to the mix as well: use a landline with a cord, and not a cell phone or cordless phone.  Dead batteries, crackling sounds, bad cell sites, and weather interference can make you sound bad at the other end, and you may not even know it.  When doing your phone interview you want to be clear and make a good impression.  Take this tip to heart and use a good quality landline.

I once received a tip from a headhunter who specialized in finding people jobs.  While it seemed like common sense, I realized that it was a tip of value, and recommend it to people to this day.  Do your homework on the company before your phone interview.  Do a search on the Internet using Yahoo, Google, MSN, Dogpile or any of the major search engines.  Look them up in an online database like Dun and Bradstreet or InfoUSA.  If you don’t have easy access to these online tools, go to your local library and tell the reference librarian what you are doing.  He or she will be glad to provide you with information sources that will help you seem knowledgeable when having your phone interview.

The last tip to keep in mind is to be yourself, and be comfortable.  One of the best ways to be yourself, and maintain comfort during your phone interview is to practice the interview.   Ask a friend to play the part of the boss.  Call your friend on the phone and go through a mock interview, answering all of the questions that you think the interviewer is likely to ask.  Mock trials help lawyers, and rehearsals help musicians.  It only makes sense that a practice interview will help an interviewer.  While it may seem silly, this is a phone interview tip you should take to heart.

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