EP 923 Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter turns his attention to doing a phone interview on your mobile phone.
Quite a few years ago, I wrote an article that's all over the web called, "Phone Interviews: Prepare to Ace Them." I wrote it at a time when firms were first starting to use phone interviews as part of their repertoire for prescreening candidates. Most people were making a lot of mistakes. I tried to just give them some simple pointers. One of the pointers I gave them was don't use a mobile phone for an interview; frankly times have changed and we have to adapt with the times. So today I want to talk with you about mobile phone interviewing and the tips for phone interviewing and mobile interviewing or generally the same. You rehearse, you research the firm, you talk to people beforehand and practice what you're going to say. You get to a place that's relatively quiet where you're not going to be interrupted. Stuff along those lines. As a matter of fact, go look for the article-- "Phone Interviews: Prepare to Ace Them." You'll find it, I'm sure. Read that article. But now let's go to the point related to mobile interviews. Mobile interviews have one extra dynamic that's beyond your control. And that is you're dependent upon your carrier as to whether you're able to be heard clearly. And you have to remember your voice is the primary sales tool. if you're not going to a place with good cellular reception, you're not going to have a good interview because the person on the other end of the phone is going to get distracted, annoyed, not pay attention and do a variety of things that discount everything you say because they can't hear you. So just be aware. Look for places where you can actually get great cell service. If you're not sure, frankly, talk to a friend of yours from that place on your mobile. Listen to what they tell you. Don't risk having a bad interview because you are too lazy to check whether their conference room in your office has good cell reception. Don't risk being rejected for a job that you really want because you didn't care enough and didn't take the time to check out how you sound over the phone. Practice not letting the phone slip under your chin. I was talking to a friend of mine recently. She had just come back from a trip and there were times when her phone ... you knew she wasn't paying attention to where the following had slipped that I couldn't hear a word she said. I had to say, "Excuse me. Could you move the phone back to your mouth." You don't want to be in that position where and interview's on the live because you don't know whether this is going to be the job you really want. So again, pick a spot where you'll have great reception, where no one will have to strain to hear any word you say in a normal tone of voice. Number two, practice. Practice holding your phone in a way that's comfortable for you during an interview. Practice in a way that your answers come across very clearly. And lastly check out the place that you are going to interview.
