Ten Phone Interview Tips For Candidates:Mastering Phone Interview

All the young and budding technical aspirants who are dreaming for a successful venture into the software domain should know and understand the telephonic interview process. So why do you think a standard company would even arrange for a telephonic interview in the first place? It’s certainly not about fooling around and so you should take it very seriously. Please come out of the fallacy of imaginations if anything prevails like you can just be on the bed while attending a telephone interview, you can just google out the answers, you can have a cheat sheet in your hand and you can just browse through it as you take the interview. Please get rid of the misconceptions to actually end up having a job in your hand rather than getting filtered out at the very initial level. Most of the standard software companies nowadays have the filter criteria of having a telephonic interview round as the very first round. They can obviously find out enough and whatever needed from the telephonic interview.So lets discuss the ten phone interview tips.

Read Also :   Ten Interview Mistakes Candidates should Avoid

Here are a few phone interview tips to be able to be a perfect fit for the telephonic interview:


Know about  Yourself

Interviewer most likely to know more about you and your behavior . You should write your strengths and weaknesses , accomplishments and answers to the most generally asked questions . This interview tip will help you to gain confidence and leave a good impression on the interviewer.
Also always keep smiling during interview , this leaves a positive tone on the interviewer.

Read Also :  Top 15 Must Know Behavioral Interview Questions

Getting the Basics Right


This section is mostly for the budding aspirants fresh out of college and perhaps for individuals who might have failed to make the cut through the telephonic screening. For the freshers as part of phone interview tips it’s all about getting the basics right and please don’t take this screening process as a casual one. If you can understand that part then half of the job is done as you have to take it as just a normal interview happening over the call. So it’s an interview and you guys have understood this much that the person at the other end would be judging you based upon your answers, reaction, promptness, brief explanation and would also check from time to time whether you have the actual knowledge of the concept that you are talking about. Prior to this it is assumed that you must be wise enough to fix the time and date to your convenience as well as the interviewer’s. You must ensure that you are in a quiet place and the signal is particularly sound.

You have to sound Confident

This is an interview afterall and yes the most important thing is your confidence. After the initial introduction phase you must have the patience to hear the interviewer completely. Remember not to interrupt him and talk at the same time even if you are trying to put forward or assert a point. You will always have the time, scope and freedom to explain and express. You must sound confident and the vibe that needs to be exchanged between you and the interviewer must be vibrant. You need not overtly do anything for that except that you should confidently stick to whatever you answer rather than fumbling at any stage. Don’t be surprised if you are asked examples of certain scenarios and concepts. It is to just check quickly you know the concept. So don’t at all think that having a cheat sheet or finding out an answer from google will easily help you crack the interview.

Resume,Pen and Paper 

This interview tip is very common.Keep your resume in front of you ,so that , you can refer to it while answering questions related to your work experience. Also keep pen and paper to take notes or write down questions.  
 

Read Also :   5 Algorithm Solving Techniques Software Programmers Should Know


Don’t be overly cautious

Yes this is an interview call of course but don’t forget to have a casual talk while explaining things. Don’t forget that it is not only an interview call where you need to explain things what is being asked for but also how you present it and the way you talk and sound.
best phone interview tips
Don’t be overly cautious and sound damn serious as if you are discussing the next secret missile project with Mr. President!! You can always afford a smile in between talks and gradually make yourself comfortable which is absolutely important. It is very important to remember that it’s an interaction amongst two mutually interested people and the interviewer is always trying to gauge your interpersonal skills, your ability to present yourself and how comfortable it might be working with you.


Don’t Panic At Any Stage

This is again absolutely important to make note of. In the process of your telephonic screening you might encounter a question that you are not aware of or even sure about. You can think over it for some time and try saying something like “I want to try it again in the end…can we proceed to the next question” or even wait for the interviewer to pass over to the next question. Now if you have encountered such a question and have not been able to answer there is absolutely no need to panic or even think about it. Just proceed with the next questions and don’t let that thought creep your mind. It can happen for more than one question but it’s not about how much you know but very much about how much you are able to explain the things that are known to you.

Choose Place Wisely

Choose a place which is quiet and does not have background noise disturbance.Turn off distractions (like television or radio) if any.

Try to be vibrant and superfluous

This is something that you need to understand and portray during the process. This is just another job interview and you must be vibrant in your way and mannerism of talking. Remember a vibe can be exchanged at the very first instance of the way we say “hello” and therein it kicks off. Whenever you are explaining and doing the talking you must be superfluous in what you say and must be energetic to establish that positive vibe.


Read Also :  15 Logical Puzzles and Brainteasers Asked in Java Interview


Avoid an Argument at Any Point of Time

The telephonic screening process which separates out the deserving from the non-deserving is about so much about an individual’s ability and a lot can be judged over a simple telephone interview. By now you have been able to understand this much. Try to follow a conversation etiquette which is never to argue with the interviewer at any point of time. Don’t interrupt the interviewer while he is talking and avoid an argument in trying to prove a point. If your interviewer contradicts you in establishing any point you must always respond back saying “I will definitely try this approach or look into this approach and try implementing it”. It not only ensures your zeal to learn but also your efficient diplomacy of contradiction rather than saying “No I don’t think you are correct”. 

Thank You

Say a warmth "Thank You" in the end , appreciating the interviewer for his time . This thank you note is kind of  formal reiteration of your interest in the position. Think Yourself,  if you are interviewer , and someone says thank you politely for your time .


Read Also :  Best Books For Learning Java


All the Best for the Interview.Please mention in the comments if you have any other phone interview tips or any other valuable information which can help candidates .

About The Author

Subham Mittal has worked in Oracle for 3 years.
Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by subscribing JavaHungry