During this recession, the initial phone interview has become a staple of corporate HR departments. They're short-staffed, flooded with candidates, and the reality is that the phone interview is more time efficient.

I'm going to pass along five tips for succeeding in a phone interview. Much of the wisdom I'm about to pass along comes from the hundreds of phone interviews I've performed while building my companies over the years.

Purpose of a Phone Interview

When an employer schedules a phone interview, it's usually because they saw something they liked on your resume, but have concerns or questions. Essentially, they'd like to get you on the phone and see if a brief conversation will tip the scales one way or the other. It's a moment when you can shine or rust, and speaking from experience, most job seekers don't do well in this setting.

How to Succeed in a Phone Interview:

• Sound Quality Matters: Use the best telephone available. Never use a speaker phone, and don't be in an echoing room. The recruiter wants to get a sense of who you are, and the worst thing you can do is sound like an echoing voice on a squawk box. You want to sound confident, grounded, and reassuring.
• Use Notes: A phone interview is like an open-notes test, use your notes. Create bulleted notes for the most common interview questions you expect to hear, and feel free to quietly refer to your notes. If you think you'll be asked "Why do you want this job?", "What did you accomplish in your present position?", and "Why are you leaving ABC Corp?", then create notes for these questions.
• Formulate your Answers into Sound Bites: Short and memorable. There's nothing worse than a candidate who rambles on, leaving the interviewer wondering when and how to cut him off. A good habit is to respond in sound bites. The interviewer can then easily capture these in their interview notes (which will be sent to the hiring manager). For example, say the interviewer asks, "What makes you qualified for this job?" Rather than a rambling response, you might say: "I believe I have three key strengths that make me a good fit for this job: One, I have three years of experience using the Gizmo 1000 software that's required for this job; Two, I'm a fast learner and can come up to speed quickly on your project; and Three, if you check my references, I believe you'll learn that I'm a true team player."
• Remember the Word "Earnest": It's the perfect tone for any interview. When I interview, I'm looking for earnest people. I don't want to be sold, I don't want anyone overly enthusiastic and of course, I don't want to be put to sleep. In my mind, the word earnest best describes the tone and tenor that suits the situation best.
• Ask Great Questions: Show off your intellectual curiosity. In fact, there's nothing worse than an interviewee who doesn't ask questions. Here are a few of my favorite questions that candidates have asked me during an interview:
  • "How do I get an 'A' in this position?"
  • "If I do a great job in this position, what would be a logical promotion path?"
  • "What personality and work styles work best for the hiring manager?"
  • "How would you rate my candidacy for the job?"

I hope you find these tips helpful in your next phone interview.

Rob McGoven is the CEO and founder of Jobfox. For the past 15 years he has helped people get ahead in their careers. Rob started Jobfox to help workers connect with employers in a whole new way. Prior to Jobfox, he was the founder and CEO of Careerbuilder. In his spare time, he wrote the book Bring Your "A" Game: The 10 Career Secrets of the High Achiever.

Last updated: January 2010