Even though a phone interview may seem easier than a regular interview on the surface, it can actually be a bit harder. You have to successfully project your personality without having the advantage of face-to-face contact. You must rely solely on your voice to make a connection with your interviewer.
These tips will increase your chance of having a successful phone interview.
1. Eliminate ALL distractions. Make sure you are in a quiet place away from people, TV, pets, etc. If your dog tends to bark a lot, see if you can find a sitter during the interview time. This will allow you to keep 100% focused on your interview…
When interviewing for that all important teaching position, the last thing you want to do is make a horrible first impression on your potential future supervisor. In an interview, you want to be likeable and win over your interviewer by making a great impression and connection, so here are five simple things that you should avoid at all costs in teacher interviews.
1. Excessive smiling – It is always a good idea to be pleasant, but don’t go overboard into seemingly dopey. If you smile too much, it can make it evident to your interviewer that you are overly nervous.
2. Sweating – If you have a problem with controlling your nerves and are prone to sweating when nervous, remember to wear lighter clothing. An interviewer will not want to shake your clammy hand or see your sweat stains. Wear a light undershirt that is designed to soak up excess perspiration.
3. Inflating or lying about past performances. Nobody likes an exaggerator, and your potential employer will be able to sniff out your lies. If you get the job based on the lies you told in the interview, chances are…
More and more employers are deciding to interview candidates over the phone, especially if the prospective employee lives in another city or state. Telephone interviews have their own unique advantages and disadvantages. The main disadvantage is that you have to sell yourself using only words and the tone of your voice. You won’t be able to impress them with your physical presence.
However, if you prepare properly for the interview, you have the advantage of being able to have notes right in front of you, and you have the comfort of familiar surroundings. Most tips that can be applied for face-to-face interviews can also help you in telephone interviews. But, there are also some extra things that you can do for a phone interview. These include:
Preparing some relevant notes and practicing answers to possible questions
Eliminating all possible distractions, as you need to give the interviewer your undivided attention
Paying attention to your tone because a note of irritation or frustration in your voice will be much more noticeable over the phone
Restating the question asked to you as this will give you more time to prepare an answer, prevent long silences over the phone, and will ensure you properly understood the question; don’t do this every time, however, as this can be annoying to the interviewer to hear himself/herself repeated
Typical job interview questions that an interviewer will ask you near the end of the interview is to see your references and if you have any questions for them. Even though this part of the interview may seem straight forward, there is still a best way to navigate through this question.
First, when asked to supply your references, make sure that you come prepared to the interview with your references typed up neatly on a separate sheet of paper. On the paper your references should be legibly listed indicating the name, position, location, and telephone number of each reference. It is normally best to have between 3-5 professional references and they can be a mixture of personal and professional references. Use the same letterhead as the resume and cover letter, and the thank you letter for after the teaching job interview. It makes the package look very professional.
When the interviewer asks you whether you have any questions, it is wise to ask a few questions as it shows your interest in the position and the school district. However, the job interview is not the time or place to ask about salary, benefits, hours, or vacation. Although this information may be critical for you in making your decision, you should wait until you have been offered the job before you ask about them.
Whether you feel your interview has gone well or you have a sinking feeling that you didn’t get the job, you need to make sure that you leave the interview on a positive note. Remember that many people have left an interview feeling they’d blown it, only to receive a phone call a few days later offering them the job. You can never be sure what the interviewer thinks of the interview, so it’s a good idea to take every opportunity to leave a positive impression.
As you are leaving the interview, thank the interviewer for his/her time, let them know you are very interested in the position, and shake hands. If the interviewer does not let you know when a further contact will be made, ask when you may call to learn of his/her decision. Also, if the employer asks you to call or return for another interview, make a written note of the date, time, and place. After thanking the interviewer and leaving the interview room, promptly leave the building, remembering to thank the receptionist/assistant on your way out. Don’t forget to send a thank you letter, it is courteous, reiterates what you can bring to the school district, and puts your name, one more time in front of their eyes.
The purpose of the telephone cold call is to enable you to find out who the contact people at the school or district are, and when the best time would be to drop off a resume. Telephone contacts are an effective way to gather information and expand your network.
Before making your cold call, make sure that you have everything you need for your conversation, such as a pen and paper, calendar, your resume, and your personal introduction. You don’t want to be frantically looking for a pen during the conversation. The key to everything in the job search is being prepared.
You should approach the telephone cold call the same way you would a face-to-face meeting. Because you lack the physical contact of a face-to-face meeting, you will need to put in some extra effort. For instance, it helps to smile while you speak. Smiling makes your voice sound friendlier, and it also guarantees that your requests will not sound like demands. Along the same lines, pay attention to your voice. Speak loud and clearly. Also don’t talk too fast, too slow or with your mouth full. Be friendly and precise.
Remember that you’ve called for a purpose, so speak with authority, and get down to business quickly. Once you’ve stated what your purpose is, be sure to listen to what the person says, and then ask for a follow-up as either another telephone call, or a face-to-face meeting.
