How to master your next phone interview

How to master your next phone interviewIn this era of texting, when phone conversations are increasingly rare, a phone interview can be a daunting step during the job hunt process. Its hard enough to do a face-to-face interview, but in this case you have tocreate a rapport with a potential employer with no facial expressions to guide you. And just because youre not in front of someone, suited up and resume in hand, doesnt mean that your conversation is any less important. In fact, a survey on CareerBuilder revealed that 87% of employers could tell if a job candidate was a good fit within the first 15 minutes of a phone interview. googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.display(div-gpt-ad-1467144145037-0) ) Here are a few tips to help keep you sane and increase your chances of success if youre asked to dial in to get to know your future employer.Warm up your voice.Dont let your phone interview be the first vocal contact you have with another person on interview day. Call a friend or family member and have a chat. If no ones around, have a conversation with yourself in the shower. Do anything it takes to get in conversation mode so you dont sound like you just rolled out of bed at interview time.Treat it like the real thing.So what if your interviewer cant see you? Dress up as you would for an in-person interview, wearing professional, comfortable clothing that makes you feel your best. Sit upright in a real chair. Dont slump on the couch, lie on your bed, or sprawl out. Act like a professional and youre more likely to sound like one.Do your research.Your interviewer wants to know that youre serious about the job, and the best way to show you really want it is to seek out information about your interviewer, the company, the position, the industry, etc. Do as much homework as you would for an in-person interview. If you are well informed, you will also be prepared for any question your interviewer might toss your way.Dont babble too much.Filling awkward silences with babble is a tic we all have in interviews, and it sounds even worse on the phone. Never talk to simply fill dead air and never keep your interviewer from getting in a word edgewise. schliff your sentences and allow room for the other person to respondthis is not only a good recipe for a natural interview conversation its also a sign that youre a considerate person.Talk to a face.If you can do a bit of Google stalking and find a photo of your interviewer, print it out or pull it up on your computer so you can look at it during your interview. This can help you connect with your interviewer and match her or his voice to a face. If you cant find a photo of your interviewer, try looking at a picture of someone in your field that you respect and pretend that you are trying to impress that person.End on a positive note.No matter how well (or terribly) you think the interview went, make sure to end with pep and confidence. Thank your interviewer for the call, reiterate your interest i n the position, and remind him or her that youd be a great fitand a strong assetto the team. Even if youre not feeling it, project professionalism and positivity in those final moments.Then, immediately send a thank you note just as you would after an in-person interview.

5 Ways a Mentor Can Boost Your Career Potential

5 Ways a Mentor Can Boost Your Career fhigkeit 5 Ways a Mentor Can Boost Your Career PotentialWho needs a ratgeber? You do.At the beginning of your professional career, everything can seem overwhelming. Perhaps youve started a job in an industry unrelated to your degree. Maybe youve changed career paths. No matter the situation, a berater can help.In the middle of your professional career, everything can seem boring or mediocre. The newness has worn off, you are confident in your skills, and the climb up the ladder is often tedious. Its easy to get into a career rut and feel like youre just going through the motions. In the middle of your career, too, a berater can guide you.And at the end of your career, when youve accomplished all you set out to, even as things wind down, career coaching can help make that transition smoother.In short, finding a berater is a vital part of any thriving career, at al stages. Dont miss out on the guidance a mentor brings and the boost youll see in you r career.Here are some of the ways career coaching can help you.1. Acknowledge your shortcomings.If youre trying to move upward in your career, you need to know exactly whats weighing you down, making that vertical climb more difficult. Chances are, you know many of your shortcomings and are working to eliminate them. But sometimes the biggest flaws are the ones we cant see. A mentor can come in with an outside perspective to point out issues you may not be able to see.Your relationship with your mentor will allow you to talk about your shortcomings freely and much more easily than you could with a boss or supervisor. Even if the shortcomings your mentor points out are ones you already know, working with him/her to find ways to make you better without the fear of it impacting your career is invaluable.2. Develop your strengths.Just like knowing your shortcomings, knowing your strengths is also a key part of your career. You know best what youre good at and what comes easily to you. And again, a mentor may be able to point out some assets you may not fully realize. But strengths are only strengths as long as they continue to grow and develop. And often developing those strengths isnt something you can do on your own.The outside perspective career coaching brings can also acknowledge some areas that arent currently strengthsbut could be. Maybe youre mediocre at one thing, but based on other strengths and weaknesses, you could develop that ordinary skill into a strong one. Mentors can help identify areas that you can work on, making you stronger.3. Learn something new.No matter how smart you are or how much you know, the more you know the more you realize how much you have to learn. Finding a mentor outside your company or department provides you with access to knowledge you may not have known you were missing. It may be beneficial, also, to specifically look for a mentor with knowledge in an area you need to learn more about. Learning something new wont just mak e you a better person, but it will also show your employer you are disciplined and take initiativealways good traits.4. Discuss difficult decisions.As an outside source, a mentor has a unique outlook, able to give you advice without having a stake in the situation. When difficult work (or even personal) issues arise, often you will be unable to discuss it with others at your company. Career coaching provides the wisdom and knowledge necessary for quality opinions and can help you discuss your options. Youre essentially in the presence of a safe zone, able to opine and debate the situation without offending anyone or speaking out of turn.In plus-rechnen to giving great advice, finding a mentor can also give you a sounding board. Sometimes you wont necessarily need advice on a situation as much you need to just talk it out. Often you know what the best course of action is, and saying it out loud, again to an impartial party, can be exactly what you need to gain a better perspective on the situation.5. Connect with new people.After being in the same industry for several years, you start to find that everyone knows the same people. And they all know the same people in the industry, too. Your mentor, as an outsider, has access to a whole new network of individuals you may not. You can glean from their wisdom as well as your mentors. Networking with new people boosts your opportunities exponentially. As the saying goes, Its all about who you know.Connecting with a mentor can change your career in ways you may have never seen possible. Whether youre at the beginning, middle, or end of your career path, a mentor can come in and provide guidance and support that will make you a better employee and a better human.Ready to write the next chapter of your career? Hire a TopResume writer todayRelated Articles