How are you supposed to prepare for a telephone screening?

Yes, today is a bright and shiny day in your job transitioning journey. You’ve got an e-mail to schedule a telephone screening/exploratory talk to the hiring manager/recruiter of that company you really want to work for. You wish it was a face-to-face talk, don’t you? You’ll probably have no way to get reactions over the phone as there is not a face to read in front of you. You may be nervous that your accent may come too strong for the interviewer. But, you want to be prepared.

Here are some tips that could facilitate your success on this matter:

1. Show energy and enthusiasm through your voice. As the interviewer will not see you, your voice will be your main resource to sell your brand. Having said this, remember to be careful not to over do it and mindful on your volume and environment under which you’ll have this talk. If you are a visual person, have your resume and charts with your highlighted achievements in front of you. Sometimes the only info you’ll be asked for is the one already reflected in your resume which makes easy to handle the conversation, but some other times the recruiter may want to inquire on a particular set of competencies required for the job and you must be ready to perform at your best during the telephone screening process by providing clear examples that demonstrate you are effectively the person for the job.

2. Minimize/avoid interruptions before they happen, so then it is easy to hear you. Get that beautiful dog somewhere else, so its barking is not annoying for your interlocutor during the conversation.

3. Keep yourself 100% in the moment! It is important to ensure it is a good time for you to talk to that interviewer. If the call comes without any notice, feel free to provide a very business related excuse to re-schedule it at a better time and ask for a phone number or e-mail to call back. You do not want that beautiful child to make baby noises in the middle of a job screening talk and you do not want to be distracted by the fact that the most undesired interruption may ruin your moment at anytime.

4. Use clear diction. It is more obvious over the telephone and can affect the interviewer's perception of your professional/executive image. If English is your second language, please do not rush in responding. Speak at a slower speed, so then the right words come to your mind and get to make it effectively to your mouth. It also gives you a little bit of a break to gain confidence in your message and articulate your response effectively.

5. Request contact information. If you don't have the interviewer's contact information, be sure to request their email address, so that you can send them a thank you e-mail.

Prepare, prepare, and prepare to sell your Brand! Remember as well to ask for a job description in advance of that telephone screening in order to ensure you understand the job requirements and how they relate to your background and competencies

There are some common questions you can expect to get and role playing with a career coach is a wonderful way to get ready to be at your best.

Best Success!

"You must know that in any moment a decision you make can change the course of your life forever: the very next person stand behind in line or sit next to on an airplane, the very next phone call you make or receive, the very next movie you see or book you read or page you turn could be the one single thing that causes the floodgates to open, and all of the things that you've been waiting for to fall into place.” - Anthony Robbins