Interviews - The Phone Prescreening

From the Examiner:

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The phone pre-screening interview is possibly the most unpredictable part of the interview process. Different companies do so many different things in this stage.

In Nashville, not many companies will do this, but the reader is best advised to be wary of companies that call you, want to do the phone interview on the spot, and want you to know something of their company right then and there. If a job seeker has been seeking jobs properly, then they will have applied to numerous positions, and it would be difficult at best to keep them straight.

A good company (and most do) will call and ask to set an appointment for the phone pre-screening.

Interviews range widely. A company may try to simply lay out the job for you, and make sure that it will be a fit. The company may start straight into interview questions. Phone interviews may be anywhere from 15 minutes in length, to over an hour.

To be sure, there are many types of initial phone interviews. The only way to maximize the experience for yourself is to have a set list of things you wish to accomplish. Generally speaking, you will want to make sure there is a good fit as far as working hours, working conditions, duties, salary, and other job-related nuances. Additionally, the individual job seeker may also want to inquire about benefits, or other personal needs for the job at this time.

Be prepared. Do your homework on the company. Have a couple of questions written down that you can ask the interviewer. Here are a few general questions that can help, if others you wrote down get answered in the process of the interview:

1. Why is the position open?
2. What soft skills lend themselves well to this position?
3. How does your company differentiate itself from the competition?

Prepare yourself for different interview styles. Be prepared to go into detail on previous experience. Remember, each question they ask can be boiled down into one of three broad questions: A) Why should they hire you? B) Why does this person want the job? C) What value do you bring the company?