The phone interview is the first point of contact with the client.  You HAVE to make a good impression both in terms of your technical skills and your communication skills.  Listening is more than hearing the words another person is saying.  It includes hearing, interpreting and understanding.

Body Language

Body language here consists of the tone of your voice. Listen to your own tone of voice. It should communicate:

• Warmth

• Friendliness

• Interest

• Intelligence

• Confidence

DURING THE PHONE INTERVIEW

• Take the interview in a separate room and close the door - you do not want any distractions. If there are others in the room, they should be quiet. No radios or murmurs or talking in the background.

• Announce yourself clearly and in a friendly manner. SMILE - your smile will be reflected in your voice.

• Keep your resume on hand and refer to it - the interviewer so far knows you only from your resume.

• Always maintain a polite and friendly tone. Never show irritation.

• Keep a pad and pen at hand - write down the interviewer’s name immediately so that at the end of the call, you can wish him using his name.

• Take the interview in a separate room and close the door - you do not want any distractions. If there are others in the room, they should be quiet. No radios or murmurs or talking in the background.

• Write down key words during the interview so that you can refer to them in order and reply accordingly.

• If there is something you did not catch, you can request the interviewer to repeat.

• If you ask questions to be repeated often, it means that your communication skills are poor.

• Pay attention to the question - do not give irrelevant answers.

• For each question, do not give a yes/no answer. Say a few words - give descriptions. BUT DO NOT READ FROM YOUR RESUME!

• Close the interview with a friendly “Thank you and have a great day!

• After the interview, write down all the questions you were asked, including any that you could not answer.