~ All month we’re blogging tips on landing an new job.~

Everyone is busier than ever and the ‘phone interview’ has become an  increasingly common first step with a hiring manager. Phone screens are much more difficult than an in person interview.   Here’s some tips on how to nail it:

– Never take a phone screen on a cellphone.  Dropped calls, static, headset problems.  Your friends put up with it.  Your colleagues do as well but don’t expect a hiring manager to.  Have you left a message for me that I didn’t return?  About 20% of voicemails now now are so garbled that I can’t parse the message.   The iPhone is  a beautiful thing but dropped calls aren’t.  Hope that’s not a surprise to anyone!

– If you absolutely must take the call by cell, ditch the headset, make sure you are in a ‘5 bars’ area and plan for the sat delay.  Nothing worse than talking all over someone.  And park the car– you cannot perform during an interview driving.  Lead with, ‘my apologies, I have to take the call from my mobile…”

– Did you know people can ‘hear’ your smile when on the phone?

– Stand up and project clearly, think about your delivery.

– Finally, take the call from a quiet area. You may think your screaming children and barking dogs are adorable but the rest of us, not so much.  Would you bring them to your interview?  Then don’t bring them to your interview.