?> More Companies Using Job Interview Phone Screening

CashCome.com Articles Pages

Home
Articles Index
Site Map

More Companies Using Job Interview Phone Screening

?>

Download eBooks and Software

The Lotto Black Book
This Radical Approach To An Online Sales Letter Converts In The 3-5%... We've Never Seen Something Like This Since The Early Days Of 2004-2005 And I'm Sure You Haven't Either... We Convert More Than Our Competition And We Pay Out More... Try It!

Paleo Recipe Book - Brand New Paleo Cookbook
Brand New Paleo Diet Cookbook With Over 370 Recipes. Pays 70% Commission On This High-quality, Easy To Sell Product. Get Banners And Promotional Material At Http://paleorecipebook.com/affiliates.html

Real Writing Jobs
New & Improved Pricing Structure With Multiple Price Points, Downsells, And Upsells. Doing Better Than Ever! Plus, We Keep Emailing All Interested Users With Your Affiliate Link In The Emails To Make Sure You Get Credit! Realwritingjobs.com/affiliates.php


Articles > Self Improvement and Motivation

More Companies Using Job Interview Phone Screening

 by: Carole Martin

Planning and preparing before you begin to send out resumes could save you some embarrassing moments when you receive that unexpected call.

You just never know when that phone is going to ring. Let's say the phone rings just as you are about to sit down for dinner, but this time it's not a pesky telemarketer -- it's a company recruiter calling. The voice on the other end of the phone says she is calling about a resume you sent in six weeks ago. 'What -- six weeks ago? I sent out 40 resumes in the past six weeks? Who exactly are you and what was the job you are calling about?' You've been caught off-guard!

The telephone 'screen call' can come at any time -- day or night. Some interviewers find evenings the best time to catch people at home, where they will be able to talk more candidly. That being the case, you should be on-call and prepared to receive a telephone interview at any time.

Even though you cannot control the timing of these calls, there are some steps that you can take to not be caught off-guard.

1. Get organized.

Set aside your materials as though you were going to a face-to-face interview. Have a folder with job postings or ads you have answered, along with company information. If you have several versions of your resume, attach the one relevant to the particular job posting. Keep this folder in a specific place so you can get to it in less than a minute. When the phone rings at an unexpected moment, tell the caller to hold and then grab your folder.

2. Be prepared.

This is key to any interview, but for the telephone interview it is essential. Practice with a tape recorder to hear the level of enthusiasm in your voice. The key to telephone interviews is projecting an upbeat image through the sound of your voice and the words you use.

3. Know what they are looking for.

Look over the job description to see what the company is seeking in a candidate. If you don't have a good description, look at other postings of similar positions to see what is being asked for. Compare what you have to offer against what they are looking for. Be ready to let the interviewer know what a good match you are for the position.

4. Alert the household.

Be sure everyone in your household -- children, roommates, etc., are aware that you will be receiving calls from recruiters and companies. The phone should be answered in a polite, professional manner. While you're at it, make sure your voice mail message is also professional and upbeat.

Telephone interviews, typically conducted by a human resources staff member or a hired recruiter, are used as screening tools to save time and money. By asking key questions, the interviewer determines whether or not it's worthwhile to pursue you further as a candidate. The screenings may consist of a few quick questions or as much as a one-hour grilling.

Some general questions you might expect in a telephone screening are:

  1. Why are you leaving your current job?

  2. What kind of salary/job are you looking for?

  3. Tell me three adjectives that describe you.

  4. Tell me about a time when you had to solve a problem using creativity.

  5. Do you have any questions for me?

If there is some particular skill that qualifies you for a job, for example technical skills or languages, there may be some qualifying questions about the 'tools of the trade.'

Getting through this screening is critical for advancing to the next step: the face-to-face interview. This puts added pressure on you to present yourself in a positive, focused manner. If you attempt to wing this call, you may reach a dead end in the process. By organizing and preparing you will feel less stressed when these calls do come.

About The Author

Carole Martin is a celebrated author, trainer, and an interview coach. Her books, 'Interview Fitness Training Workbook' and 'Boost Your Interview IQ' (McGraw Hill) have sold thousands of copies world-wide. Receive Carole's FREE job interview tips by visiting her web site at: http://www.interviewcoach.com

?>


News on Self Improvement and Motivation

Workshop on personality development
Neha Foundation will be organising one-week workshop on ‘self-improvement' for students aged between 13 and 19 years from May 21 to 25 between 9.30 a.m. and 1.30 p.m. at No. 153, Bells Road, Chep...

After-school activities form well-rounded kids
If you're carting around more than one child to several after-school activities in the hope of rearing learned, talented, self-assured adults, the message from researchers is clear - keep it up, you're on the right track.

Toolbox: Prime Cycling Pyramid
As I discussed in my first post, Prime Cycling is defined as “riding at a consistently high level under the most challenging training and race conditions.”

Looking back through the years, 5/17/12
Five years ago Pinal Hispanic hosts Eloy Block Party

Science Fiction or Fact: Humanlike Intelligent Machines Will Soon Exist
In this weekly series, Life's Little Mysteries rates the plausibility of popular science fiction concepts.

transparent