Interviews Over the Phone

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Has anybody ever been interviewed over the telephone? How did it go?

― MarkH (MarkH), Tuesday, 12 August 2003 07:24 (twenty-three years ago)

I am going to be interviewed by someone in New York by telephone on Friday. I've never had a telephone interview before. Any tips?

― MarkH (MarkH), Tuesday, 12 August 2003 07:25 (twenty-three years ago)

Don't pull a James Woods (cf. Salon).

― Girolamo Savonarola, Tuesday, 12 August 2003 07:27 (twenty-three years ago)

Imagine the interviewer naked. Lube up as appropriate.

― oops (Oops), Tuesday, 12 August 2003 07:28 (twenty-three years ago)

Sit in the interview naked. Then inform your interviewer of this fact.

Serious point - telephone interviews are actually easier in many ways, because the questions tend to come thicker and faster and you don't have to worry about things like worrying about what your interviewer's facial expression means etc. Overall, they seem far less nerve-wracking, but don't allow yourself to get complacent.

Also, avoid awkward silences AT ALL COST. And shoot your housemates if they go anywhere NEAR the phone that day.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Tuesday, 12 August 2003 07:45 (twenty-three years ago)

cheers Matt.

The housemate thing isn't going to be a problem as the only other erson who lives in the house is away until the middle of next week.

― MarkH (MarkH), Tuesday, 12 August 2003 08:39 (twenty-three years ago)

don't worry, I don't miss the initial letters off words when I speak as well!

― MarkH (MarkH), Tuesday, 12 August 2003 08:40 (twenty-three years ago)

I got interviewed over the phone about a letter I wrote in to a newspaper once. It went pretty well - they let me rant about freedom of speech and ideas for about ten minutes. Hooray.

― Andrew (enneff), Tuesday, 12 August 2003 11:18 (twenty-three years ago)

No but I've done plenty of interviews over the phone - I think they are much harder than face-to-face ones. The awkward silence thing, that always happen in phone interviews (and in regular interviews as well but then you don't notice because you fill up time by scratching your face or flicking through the questions or humming). Just ignore the silence and wait for another question when you're done answering the last one - whatever you do, don't try and fill up the empty space with blabbering.

― Hanna (Hanna), Tuesday, 12 August 2003 12:12 (twenty-three years ago)

I've done a couple of job interviews over the phone. The first time I did one the interviewer woke me up with the phone call so it went very badly -- I was still to tired and disoriented to put my thoughts together. The second time I did one it went very well, in a way it was easier to concentrate on the questions and formulating answers because I wasn't distracted by the physical presence of the interviewer.

― Larcole (Nicole), Tuesday, 12 August 2003 12:17 (twenty-three years ago)

on the flip side, does anyone have any good recording techniques or devices for the phone? i want to actually use the audio but digital answering machines have a 10-minute limit on convo recording, it seems

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Tuesday, 12 August 2003 12:41 (twenty-three years ago)

I've never been interviewed, but I've interviewed people only about a million times over the phone. Most recently Chris Piuma of the Minor Thirds.

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 12 August 2003 14:08 (twenty-three years ago)

I had a telephone interview to get into graduate school - I usually do pretty well in interviews but I feel goofy (I am self-conscious about my mouth) so on the phone I think I express myself better. Overall I think it went great, and it must have because I got into the school.

― Mandee, Tuesday, 12 August 2003 14:12 (twenty-three years ago)

I had phone interviews for my current job. I didn't enjoy them at all, because, well, in general I hate the phone, since I get none of the visual feedback of body reactions, and instead there is a certain flatness to it all.

Horace, I totally forgot to embrace you and whisper "PLUR" into your ear at the end of the interview, and for that, I apologize.

― Chris P (Chris P), Tuesday, 12 August 2003 20:35 (twenty-three years ago)

Tracer, when you get here I will show you the electronic shop on tott court road that does ear attachments, they are £10 or so.

― suzy (suzy), Tuesday, 12 August 2003 20:41 (twenty-three years ago)

You can get a simple attachment that runs between the receiver and headpiece for about $15 at Radio Shack.

― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Tuesday, 12 August 2003 20:51 (twenty-three years ago)

one year passes...

I've been asked to conduct some phone interviews with people who are applying for my job.

Weirdest feeling ever.

― Gator Magoon (Chris Barrus), Friday, 17 September 2004 20:37 (twenty-two years ago)

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