Career

Phone Interview Tips for Internship

I have 2 phone interviews for internships scheduled on the same day, one in the morning and another in the afternoon…It would be great if you can give me some tips on handling the phone interview – Srinivas

Phone Interview Tips for Internship

Congrats on getting telephone interview for internship. Usually, phone interview is the fist step towards getting internship or job. For internship, some companies have only phone interview, if the job is not local.

Be enthusiastic – Show the same smile you will have while attending the interview in person.

Space and Room – Have a room for yourself. Make sure you don’t have distractions.

Cell Phone vs Land line – If you don’t have landline phone, then use cell phone. Don’t use speakerphone. Try to get headsets. Disable call waiting.

Resume –  Have a copy of your resume with you. Make sure it’s the same version the interviewer has.

Notes – Have  a pen and paper handy. Take notes.

Listen – Always listen to the question before you speak. There will be instances where you feel like answering before the person finishes talking. Avoid that and speak only after the interviewer completes the question.

Questions to Ask – Research the company and their products. Have list of questions to ask. Well-thought-out questions show you’re really interested in the company and the job. Also, have your resume in front of you.

Choice of Words – Avoid negative words. This applies to phone interview and In-person interview. Words like  ‘can’t,’ ‘haven’t’ and ‘don’t’ If they ask you someone and you don’t have experience, then say “I can learn and get things done” or “With my background, I will be able to learn  new technology” or “I have done something similar, I will be able to learn this tool in no time”

Follow-up: Send thank you email. Briefly remind the interviewer how your skills and achievements can help the company meet its goals.

Don’t Make this Mistake – Don’t have books, notes, or laptop in front of you. Don’t try to browse answers after the question is asked. Interviewer can find easily that you are looking for answers from the way you respond.

Dress – Dress in formal even for phone interview. This will give you that professional outlook internally. Having casual dress (pajamas) will give you that casual attitude.

How to End the Interview: This is the most important step. You have to leave a positive impression at end of the interview. You can learn about techniques on how to end the interview with positive impression. Learn about that techniques at Ultimate Job Search Guide – Knock’em Dead 2011. Its a must have book for any job seeker.

If you have additional phone interview tips to share, please leave a comment.

Srivivas, after your interview is over, comeback to post your experience.

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9 Comments

  1. I am a regular reader of the HSB newletter and have walked through almost every article concerning trouble in staying and sustaining and standing the harsh conditions of weather and high payments too. But everything else apart I am in a real big trouble I suffered due to an illness which prolonged over a duration of 7-8 months and in the meanwhile I wasn't able to put down my efforts on exam sheets and earned myself a couple of backlogs(8-10 of them to be specific). I am in a dilemma whether I will be able to make it to the U.S or will be filtered out in visa interview. I am still pursuing my engineering in Electronics and Communication and I am in 2nd year of B.Tech 4 year course. Feedback and tips at the earliest will be totally appreciates as it'll ooze down my fuming worries a bit and make me be in my prescence of mind. Thanks

    1. @Ansual – 2 corrections
      1) This is the right post for your question.
      2) Couple = 2 (not 7)
      Find the right post to write the comment. Thanks.

  2. Hello HSB,

    Thanks a lot for the tips for the Phone Interview. I am done with both of my interviews and got a direct interview with one of the companies and did not make it in the other company. The tips were really helpful. From my experience, I would say be confident and don't speak anything that you don't know (I mean don't bluff!!)

    The one which I could not make it was the first interview I have ever faced and hence I was a bit nervous. Anyways, good luck to all others who have interviews 🙂

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