How to Prepare for Phone Interviews
February 24, 2010
Phone interviews are tough, especially for software engineering, user interface, and other tech positions. Background noise on either end, shoddy audio quality, and just the fact that you’re not sitting face-to-face with your interviewer make for a trying experience. Having gone through a bunch of phone interviews (4 with Google and 2 with Facebook) with success, I figure it’d be helpful to share how I prepare for those calls.
- Be familiar with the company. (3 days before the call) Knowing something about the company can help boost your confidence because it takes away some of the uncertainty regarding the situation. If you know the company’s culture, their mission, and how they’ve made news, you can get an idea of what a company or startup values and how you can help.
- Figure out how you can make a difference. (2 days before) Good companies hire people to come make a difference and introduce new ideas. If you’re interviewing for a user interface/experience position, find something the company’s made and figure out what you would change in the interface to make it better or a feature you would add/take away to make the product better. It’s important to have a few solid examples thought out ahead of time so that you can relay your ideas clearly and effectively over the phone. I always list out my ideas on paper that I have handy during the interview which I can refer to in case I forget for whatever reason.
- Get to know your interviewer. (1 day before) Companies often let you know who will be conducting the interview ahead of time. Take advantage of this information and do a little research on the person who’s going to be calling you. It can help ease your nerves if you know a little bit about the person calling you. It takes away another element of uncertainty and gives you an idea of what to expect of the person. Interviewers often take a few minutes at the beginning of the call to introduce themselves and familiarize you with the type of work they do at the company.
- Do push-ups (or anything active). (20 minutes before) It’s important to keep blood flowing and have a little adrenaline flowing to keep you alert. You’re going to need to think quickly during the interview, and before you can do that, you need to warm-up and get the juices flowing. I typically do 35 push-ups about 15 minutes before the interview and 10 more 15 minutes before the interview. Remember, don’t exhaust yourself, you just need to kick your body (and brain) into full gear.
- Listen to whatever music pumps you up. (15 minutes before) After your exercise, you want to keep your active so that you don’t lose energy you gained by doing push-ups. It really helps if you can sing along (however terribly) to your pump up music (I like Girl Talk). Singing works your speech center, warms up your vocal chords and mouth, and helps alleviate whatever anxiety you’re having.
- Don’t wait for the call. (5 minutes before) While still listening to music do something else. Sitting there waiting for the call can get extremely nerve-racking and might throw you off balance. Just do something else and let the call interrupt you. It doesn’t matter what you’re doing, checking Facebook, reading something, or working on a problem, they’re all good; you just need something to distract you. As long as you’re not too distracted that you miss the call, you should be good.
I also like to have a few things easily available for me during the call:
- A glass of lukewarm water (so my mouth doesn’t get dry doing all that talking)
- A copy of the resume I sent in (as reference in case they ask)
- My pre-interview notes with my list of things I would change
- A notebook or something else to take notes with during the interview
Keep in mind, what’s worked for me might not necessarily work for you, too. If something above doesn’t work for you, find out what does. It’s important that you be at your best during these calls so you can get the job or internship you really want. If you have any questions or want some help preparing for your interview, feel free to talk to me about it.
Cool. bookmarked. thanks pinko