Phone interviews are usually the first or second stage of interviews in the tough selection process for international jobs, it is used to screen applicants and determine who to select  for the face-to-face interview. Recruiters use the telephone interview because it saves cost especially in this case when most of the applicants live in another country or city. The phone interview is usually used to assess if an applicant meets the basic requirements of the job and most times competency-based questions are asked.

Here are some useful points to help you ace your phone interview:

1. Prepare For The Questions.

While writing your cover letter, you went through the company’s website and got useful information about the company, before the phone interview, do it again to refresh your memory. Most likely, you will be asked competency-based questions, questions about company and questions about the position you are interviewing for. Match your skills and experience gained to the required skills in the job description, the competency-based questions you would be asked will most likely be related to the behavioural skills listed in the job description. Think about one or two scenarios where your skills matched the required skills and company’s work culture, for example, if the job description states that the applicant should be a good at teamwork, think about examples of when you practiced teamwork maybe in school, during internships or during other extracurricular activities and write them down, your examples should be particularly about successful situations, stories with successful endings, you might have many situations where you practiced teamwork but choose examples that are similar to the situations you would face if you were working for them in the graduate position, for example, if the workplace is multicultural and you would have to work together with people of different race and ranks, give examples from when you were in a similar situation and it had a successful outcome. Apart from preparing for the questions, prepare about two or three questions you would ask the interviewer, it puts you ahead of others and shows you are serious about the job and company.

2. Practice.

Practice! Practice!! Practice!!!, it makes perfect. There are many ways to practice, you can practice answering questions with a friend, family member, career counsellor, you can record your voice while practicing to answer, just choose what works best for you. This will help you identify your mistakes and make corrections to improve your communication skills because depending on the position you are interviewing for, the interviewer, apart from assessing your answers to the questions is also assessing how well you speak and sound over the phone.

3. Remove Distractions.

Rest well before the interview, it will help your brains and make you more alert. Before the scheduled time of the interview, let the people you live with know you will be having an interview at a certain time, turn off any source of noise, make sure your mobile phone has enough battery life for the entire duration of interview. Choose a quiet environment.

4. Get Ready.

Shortly before the interview starts, calm down, sit on a solid chair in front of a table or desk, get your cover letter, CV, your practice answers, a paper for taking notes and any other relevant documents you might need closer and within reach preferably on the table or desk in front of you.

5. During Interview.

When you answer the phone, introduce yourself in a professional manner, conduct yourself in a professional manner too. When answering questions, be audible. Address the interviewer in a formal way, use correct titles and last names except he states otherwise. After the interview, ask questions but avoid questions relating to salaries, vacations and starting date, keep the starting date questions to the final round of interviews. Ask questions that show that you want to be an asset to the company and is enthusiastic about the position, questions that relate to the position you are applying for. Shortly after the interview, it is advisable to write down your answers and any other important information that came up during the interview so that you can remember them because you might be asked to talk more about them in the next round of interviews. Avoid asking questions that has already been answered or is readily available on their website, but you can ask for more explanation if these answers are not clear to you.

Final Advice

• You can keep a glass of water beside you to drink in case you develop a dry mouth during the interview but avoid chewing food during the interview, the interviewer will notice and it is not good.

• Focus solely on the interview, avoid the temptation of checking your social media page during the interview.

• If your phone interview was not pre-scheduled and you suddenly get a call when you are in a rowdy place you cannot escape immediately, politely explain to the caller and fix a time with him/her.

• When asked questions, give short, concise but comprehensive answers.

• If you do not understand a question, politely ask the interviewer to rephrase or repeat the question.

• Do not interrupt the interviewer, no matter what, listen and answer only when he or she is done talking.

• Let the tone of your voice be professional and cordial.

• After the interview, thank the interviewer and tell them how much you appreciate their call.

• Take a deep breath, be confident, believe in yourself, you have got what it takes.