Interviewing Tip #1 – Phone Screening

OK, so you made enough of a positive impression with your job application or unsolicited email (see related post) to get a response from the company.  This will usually start with a request for a phone interview.  It’s the company’s way of conducting a second round of filtering (following the resume filter) to make sure they only spend face-to-face time with the most viable candidates.

The main thing I’ll say about the phone screening interview is shame on you if you don’t have all of your most important research information in front of you during the interview (see related post and this one too).  In addition, you should have a cheat sheet of your personal accomplishments right in front of you.  Maybe this is just a highlighted version of your resume.  Finally, some of the recommendations in the following posts of this series are also excellent preparatory tasks for a phone screening interview.  But remember three key things.

1. The only reason the company is doing the phone screening interview with you is to decide if they want to bring you in for a more comprehensive fact-to-face interview.  So don’t turn it into your interview of the company (that comes later).  You should be prepared with a couple of questions about the company in case you’re given the opportunity and to show that you’ve done your research.  But make sure they get what they need first.
2. Take full advantage of the fact that there is a phone line in between you and the interviewer.  You can have every cheat sheet known to man at your fingertips.  Just be organized.
3. Eliminate things that could distract or disrupt the interview.  Have a dog at home that likes to bark when people walk by your house?  Put him/her in the bedroom.  Have a land line phone at home?  Use it instead of your cell phone for better clarity.

See the rest of my series on Interviewing Tips here.   I also have a related series for Resume Writing and one for Job Hunting.

Author: Gordon Daugherty

Gordon Daugherty is a best-selling author, seasoned business executive, entrepreneur, startup advisor and investor. He has made more than 200 investments in early-stage companies and has been involved with raising more than $80 million in growth and venture capital. From his 28-year career in high tech, Gordon has both an IPO and a $200-million acquisition exit under his belt. Now, as co-founder and president of Austin’s Capital Factory and as author of the book “Startup Success”, Gordon spends 100 percent of his time educating, advising, and investing in startups. View all posts by Gordon Daugherty