The first question in a phone interview is often…
“Tell me about yourself.”
Such a short but loaded question.
How do you answer this question in the confines of an often 30-minute phone interview?
Just think…with this one question, you can set the tone and can drive the narrative of the entire call.
The person on the other side of the phone only wants to hear a general outline of your experience. Your job is to make sure that the general outline focuses on your experience that is most relevant to their job opening and company.
My first rule of thumb is PRACTICE! Even if it is a phone interview start practicing as early as possible on how you want to describe yourself and your experience in 2 minutes or less.
Wait, did you say 2-minutes or less?!
Yes, I did. The call is 30-minutes. If you spend 5 of those minutes talking about yourself and possibly things that don’t matter to the interviewer…You just wasted valuable time you could be discussing skills that you have that they DO care about!
The interviewer can always follow-up with questions after you’ve finished.
Additionally, when you practice these responses your answers become habitual and don’t sound rehearsed. They come across as FOCUSED and CONFIDENT.
I’m reminded of how I had to memorize the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution in 7th grade. I spent hours rehearsing to make sure I got it just right.
Now, I’m not recommending you write down a response and memorize it. That would sound robotic and uninteresting over the phone. It is on the other hand ok to write out bullet points, much like speaking points, on a piece of paper to have with you during the call.
Remember: the tone of your voice is the main way they’ll sense your emotion (excitement, interest) during your phone interview.
As you prepare, think about these 3 things:
1. Why do I want this job? Why am I a good fit?
2. As I review my resume, what experiences and skills are most relevant to this position?
3. When I hear myself describe my experience is it interesting and easy to follow? *Practice saying it aloud to yourself or a friend.