TREND LINES: Conquering the phone interview

We're at that point in the semester where graduating seniors are, hopefully, knee deep in the job interview process. One of the realities of recruitment today is the phone interview. If you're in the job market, sooner or later, you will "face" your hiring manager for the first time in a phone call. Here are some tips to help you succeed in that often uncomfortable and unfamiliar environment.

Remember that the call is a real interview. Treat the opportunity with all the seriousness and consideration you would give to a face to face interview. This includes dressing the part -- to some degree. This is not one of those things you want to do in your jammies.

Prepare. Do your homework. Learn about the company. Prepare good questions to ask your interviewer. Know going in what YOU want out of the interview. Be prepared to answer questions such as salary, career goals, relocation issues and other basics. Know your own resume. There's nothing worse than having an interviewer ask a question about your resume that you can't easily answer.

Eliminate distractions. Find a quiet place where you're alone without background noise. Be careful about any pets. (I once had my very noisy parrot interrupt an important client interview.) Turn off your computer. Turn off the television. Have an area close to you where you can easily get to all your notes about the company and your questions. Have a copy of your resume handy. And make sure you are on a land line or are in an area with good cell service. There's nothing worse than dropping a call mid-interview.

Pay attention to your tone of voice. In a phone setting, you don't have the face-to-face cues that give feedback on interest or enthusiasm. Your tone of voice conveys those all important messages. Be yourself. And smile -- it comes through on the phone.

Be prepared for an unscheduled phone interview. Some students tell of calling to check if the company received their resume and immediately being transferred to a hiring manager for an impromptu interview. Others tell of getting a phone call out of the blue for an interview with a company to which they have applied. The lesson is to be ready. Always have a resume with you. Be prepared to find a quiet place to talk. If you get a call from an unknown number, be careful how you answer the phone. You don't want to greet a prospective employer with a casual "what's up?"

In today's hiring landscape, the phone interview is much more than a casual introductory chat. It's often the difference between whether or not you move forward in the hiring process. A little thought and a lot of preparation will increase your odds of success.

An experienced business executive and organizational consultant, Jan Flynn teaches at the J. Whitney Bunting College of Business at Georgia College & State University.