Phone interviews
In a competitive jobs market companies need to use every possible method to assess and evaluate a potential new employee.

The traditional method of hiring people is ask for postal applications and then send out invitations to attend an interview. But the growth of the Internet as a recruitment tool has cast the net for potential employees much wider.

If a face-to-face interview means a long journey for a candidate, an initial interview over the phone is an increasingly popular way of narrowing down the field.

Phone interviews give the company a chance to get a feel for your personality and your interests, as well as sounding you out about salary and other benefits. It’s also a chance to get more detail on your experience and achievements that can’t be included on a CV.

What should I do when the phone rings?

The biggest fear people have about phone interviews that they will come out of the blue. The phone rings when you’re in the shower; you run out, dripping all over the carpet and the voice says "Hello, I’m calling from Smith Hotels, you applied for the head receptionist position?"

That’s an inconvenient call. What’s worse is the call that comes through while you’re in the middle of doing your current job with your boss sitting opposite you.

There are two things to remember here:

1. You don’t have to talk there and then if it’s inconvenient
and
2. Don’t talk there and then, even if it is convenient.

Either way, you have to even up the odds. Tell them you can’t talk at the moment and either ask to call them back in ten minutes or, even better, later that day.

This eliminates the element of surprise and gives you time to calm down and do some preparation.

What preparation should I do before I call back?

You may only have a little time, but you need to do what you can.

Here’s a quick checklist:

1. Get a copy of your CV in front of you. The interviewer will undoubtedly refer to it.
2. Do a quick Internet search (preferably on caterer.com). Has the company been in the news recently?
3. Get a brief list of questions together. Why is the job vacant? Is the company expanding? What kind of team would I have?
4. Would I be responsible for a budget? How is performance measured?
5. Find a quiet place where you can be heard clearly and you can hear them. A table where you can spread out your hasty notes and take some while you’re talking is also useful.

What happens during the interview?

The main thing to bear in mind is not to be fooled by the comparative informality of a phone call. You may be sitting in your underpants but you need to give the impression that you’re actually in a smart suit and sitting up straight.

You need to imagine the interviewer is sitting opposite you like a normal interview and be as comprehensive, interested, informative and friendly as you would be face-to-face.
The interviewer will have a structure he’ll want to follow. Let him lead the conversation and don’t ramble. Give succinct, clear answers.
Take notes as you go: any ideas, facts or topics that come up could serve you well if you have to prepare for a face-to-face interview.
What should I do at the end?

Thank them for their time like you would at any interview and apologise again for not being able to talk when they first called.

Ask what the procedure is following the call. When are you likely to hear from them and will they be doing face-to-face interviews?

It might be wise to follow up the call a couple of days later with a brief letter thanking them for their time and giving a quick reminder of what you talked about. Add that now you know more about the job you’re more convinced than ever it’s the one for you.

Any final advice?

Remember that only in the rarest of cases will an employer hire anybody on the evidence of a phone interview alone. It’s just an extra stage between the first letter and the face-to-face interview. If you’re calm and collected and give good answers you could end up with a lot of ammunition to use in the "proper" interview.