Phone interview advice

I have a second phone interview with a company I really want to work for. The first interview was with a recruiter and the upcoming interview is with the hiring manager and another team member. Does anyone have any general tips or advice? I've already planned on using a regular phone line instead of a cell phone with the call. I've done a week's worth of research about my prospective employer and introduced myself to the two people that will be conducting the upcoming interview via LinkedIn. Any other recommendations?

• Don't sound like a black or a 'mo or a Chinese else you won't get the job.

• Bumping because I paid $18 to ask this question. Come on, not all gays hair burners, cater-waiters or retail queens, right?

  OP

• A previous phone interview thread for you OP

  http://www.datalounge.com/cgi-bin/iowa/ajax.html%3Ft%3D11633860%23page:showThread%2C11633860

  Good%20luck

• r1 is correct I dont have gay voice, but I am black and I do have black man voice. Ive never gotten a job that requires a phone interview

• Don't get your hopes up is all I can say. One time, I had a PRE-interview with one stupid ass place that lasted 45 fucking minutes! And I never got an in-person interview. Complete waste of time. I'm starting to think that these HR people just do this shit because they have nothing else to do, so they want to try to look busy.

  Sheena

• It seems too obvious to say have a list in front of you of everything you want to ask - so you wont have any awkward silences or have to think of something to say ... The concept of phone interviews seems odd to me - is it a call centre type job where you have to be on the phone a lot, so they can judge your technique? What happened to person to person interviews ?

• Make sure you are relaxed. You want to be eager and polite, but not so eager you're hyper. You probably already know that you need to avoid saying axe under any circumstances. I don't mean to assume, but if you happen to say axe normally, you need to rephrase your sentences so ask is not part of them. Don't let anything hold the company back from hiring a great person for the job (you!).

• What the recruiter told me, during the initial phone screen was that there would be two phone interviews and then an onsite visit, all day interview if they decide to proceed after the phone interviews. The job is for an IT position in Silicon Valley. Many companies seem to be doing a round or two of phone interviews before bringing someone in for a face to face interview. I've already got my list of questions for them, I've reviewed all the information I can find about the company.

  OP

• Phone interviews are just a means of narrowing down the field before the company has to pay to fly people out for in-person interviews. As R6 said, have a cheat-sheet in front of you to remind yourself what you want to discuss. Have your resume in front of you also. Take notes, but don't be too obvious about it that it creates long pauses. Stand up, or walk around, during the interview. You may find that it relaxes you.

• All-DAY interview? WTF? Are they paying you for your services, or just working you for free? I feel uncomfortable with this. But I guess, if it nets you the job...

• OP, not to sound insulting at all - but I would read up on the very basics of what makes a good candidate / interview as told by a recruiter. It seems that when people are nervous, they focus too much on themselves and their accomplishments in the past - when a recruiter / interviewr really just cares about how YOU plan the help THEM make money in the future. It sounds like you have done your homework on this company; I'd suggest boning up on the basics of good interviews period.

• LOVE phone interviews. It's so much better than having to get dressed up and hauling your ass over there for a lousy pre-screening interview like 20 years ago.

• [quote]The job is for an IT position in Silicon Valley. How come you are not doing a Skype interview?

• + with a phone interview, you can do a shot of vodka or something to help sound / be relaxed. Can't do that in person or you'll smell (no I'm not a drunk). Many people are funnier, more charming after 1 -2 drinks - you could think about using this phone interview to your advantage. In this economy... I've only gotten hired for jobs that were my second choice, probably because I came off somehow eager in my "top pick employer" interviews.

  r11

• [quote] I've only gotten hired for jobs that were my second choice, probably because I came off somehow eager in my "top pick employer" interviews. This has happened to me so many times.

• Don't roll your eyes or make faces during the interview. Even though they can't see you, that shit comes through your voice. Just act as if they are in the room with you.

• R9's advice is quite good. I would add one more : SPEAK SLOWLY My speech is very rushed, and most often they are writing down what you say. Always have questions for the interviewer written ahead of time, so you are not blanking out. Unfortunately I have not had much success with phone call interviews. They are necessary though, I just had a call on Monday with a woman in London for a NY-based sales position.

• Dress up just in case they ask to Skype.

• Do your homework on the company and have a set of questions prepared that show that you did your homework and came prepared. You'd be surprised at how much of a difference that makes. When I'm doing a phone interview, or even a regular interview, I always ask the candidate what questions they have for me. A question who has no questions or who asks only the very basic questions is indicating that they don't really care about this company or about this job. Given that, why should I care about them and hire them?

• OP, good luck. I think you've been given some good advice. Unfortunately, you can be as prepared as a boy scout and still not know exactly what you need to say during this interview. It comes down to what the hiring manager is looking for. What need do they have and what sort of manager is this person? Those are the two things that you really don't know and that could be the deciding factor here. This department manager, is he Indian? If you're not, you already have one ding against you. I would just suggest that you be prepared for some stupid, idiotic questions that are intended to "trick" you. That seems to be the direction that some IT managers are going in their hiring. Good luck to you. Let us know how the interview goes.

• After you make introductions, seductively say, "So....what are you wearing?"

• Interview naked.

• Good icebreaker, r21!