Ryan-
In my opinion I feel like phone interviews are much easier then a face to face interview. When you are taking a phone interview you do not seem to be as nervous because you are not in the same room with the person who is interviewing you. If you are expecting a phone interview you must make sure that you are next to your phone at all times because you do not want to miss that phone call. If you do miss the call the chances are they will not think you are professional because you should be aware that they are going to call you at a certain time. Phone interviews are just as important as any other interviews so make sure you do your best at all times. These interviews can be recorded at anytime but usually they will tell you if thats the case.
You should never talk about salary until it is brought to your attention. It is very unprofessional to bring salary up in the interviewing stage. You should be more worried about getting the job rather then how much you are going to make. Once you get the job you can talk about salary and if you are not satisfied with the salary then you can always quit.
The best way to answer standard interview questions is first of all to be prepared for them. I'm sure we have all been asked the same questions more than once throughout all of the interviews we've been to. It is important to use action words, describe why you're the person they need to hire, and to answer positively. For example, a standard question we all have recevied is, "why did you leave your previous job?" I think a positive and truthful answer might be that, "I was not being challenged enough," and than maybe add on to that statement. That way there is no negative response about your past employer, and that during the interview you seem motivated to start something new.
ReplyDeleteNon-standard questions are a little more difficult if you haven't sorted through any. It seems to me as though non-standard questions are like Improv, you have to think quickly and creatively to answer them. Practicing can't hurt, although who knows what an interviewer might ask.
I believe that phone interviews are not as scary as in person interviews. it is important, as Ryan said, to be sure not to miss the call! Also during a phone interview you're able to be in the comfort of your own home or office. A phone interview while driving is a bad idea, haha. Being prepared is also a must for a phone interview, make sure you've done your research on the company and also practice some interview questions.
A panel interview can be very intimidating! Having a few people in front of you asking questions and staring you down, yikes! I would say again to prepare of course, just the same as if I was going to a one on one interview. Again, research the company, come up with answers to questions, and also formulate questions to ask during the interview. However, keep in mind the different people you will be talking to.
ReplyDeleteIt is certainly not a good idea to ask about salary before the interview of course. It might be okay to mention respective salary ranges if they call you for a second interview. I've found that those interviewing you definitely want you to give the number first. So if they ask, it is okay to say "I'm focusing on positions in the $xx range." Discussing salaries after this point can go a lot of different ways, but if it comes up in an interview, I think that's what I might say...it really depends on the situation.
I have actually had a phone interview with Delta. There are many steps before seeing a Delta representive in Atlanta. I was actually caught off guard when they told me I was being interviewed via phone. They never called it a interview just said, "I have a few questions for you." The questions were so intense regarding situations how I handle them etc. Had I known this was going to be a interview before meeting a Delta Representive I would have been more prepared. I felt like I wish I was in person rather then via phone.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Ryan and Kelly when it comes to discussing salary it should wait until they at least address it to you. You should mainly be concentrating on the interview and letting them get to know you and why you are good for the position.
Always research the company! You want to on your A game when being interviewed. Knowing the company very well helps you add a little bit more pazsaz when making a good impression. This will also help you develop questions you might having during the interview process.
I also think the easiest interview you could do is over the phone because your not under the pressure of having to be face-to-face. Its easier to be yourself when your not seen by the person giving the interview I think. It is a big help to people that are shy or hold some emotions back, because over the phone it may take a couple of questions but they will start to open up.
ReplyDeleteThe bad part about the interview is that some job interviewers may want to see how you are in person and how you react to different situations. Even if it is a easy problem they may want to see if you don't freak out and you show that you can handle it.
I have never had to perform a interview over the phone but I think I would like it either way. I think that face-to-face is a little bit more professional but over the phone you can sit back and relax more. I think this would be the bast suggestion would just be to relax.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, I love interviewing. It is one of the best ways someone can get to know you. In every interview I have been in thus far, there hasn't been a single one which i felt uncomfortable stressed or put under pressure. The biggest thing about interviewing and a great trick i learned quickly, is getting to the point you want first and then backing it up. This is especially true for non-standard questions. Take for example my SLC interview recently, The question we were asked was; if you could be one item on the thanksgiving day table what would you be? I thought to myself for a second, Is this a personality question or are they just hungry? well I answered quite confidently with a hint of sarcasm "The Gravy!" because of course, you don't always want or need to be the center of attention, Rather you want to accent it, be there as a back up. the turkey maybe the meet, but all the flavor notes sing with the gravy. The more standard questions I have encountered are, which areas do you consider yourself needing more work, what do you think you can bring to the table etc. Point is, when it all boils down to it, you have to put your personality on the table. They don't want to hear the generic answer that some website told you to say to guarantee you the job! they are hiring you, not some website!
ReplyDeleteThere is one thing I really cant stand, and that is a phone interview. The one and only phone interview I had was for Lead Scholars and it is the only one thus far on campus that I haven't been accepted into. I think the main reason I had so much difficulty was I had no one to make eye contact with, so I was hesitant and in some cases asked for the question to be repeated. This kind of interview only gets to know a voice rather than a person sitting at in front of you.
Panels are my personal favorite and the key with these is to look at everyone and engage everyone who you are being interviewed by. Don't just keep the attention of the panel member asking the question, but direct your attention evenly throughout the group. otherwise they will lose interest and will not give you any credit for all your time interviewing. These are also the interviews with the most nerve, because rather than one pair of eyes, you now have several to deal with. Just remember what I suggest and you will be right as rain!
oh and finally NEVER bring up salary, just leave it as "whiling to discuss later" that way your employer will be more whiling to discus a higher pay rate once you have been hired by the company. plus it allows you to seem fair rather than greedy!
Ryan,
ReplyDeleteFully agree with you about the salary. I forgot to mention that it was extremely unprofessional to do, so that is a good point brought up.
-Kelly,
ReplyDeleteWord of wisdom for you. "Don't Panic". Panel interviews are probably more beneficial than one to one interviews. yes they can be daughter. Consider this though, rather than one persons opinion, you are getting several different opinions during one session.
I think a phone interview is definitely not as intense as a formal one. When in person, I feel a huge part of the interview is your eye contact. If you’re constantly shifting your eyes and breaking direct eye contact, an interviewer can draw a lot form that. With the phone interview, this is obviously not a factor, so it can make responses a lot easier to deal with. Being able to focus all you attention, rather than having to also maintain the right physical presence, to the questions at hand can lend itself to better more well thought out response. Also, some interviewers tend to ask questions that seem out of left field, and your physical reaction to a random question like that can say a lot, so in a phone interview even if you are caught a bit off guard, it’s easy not to show it.
ReplyDeleteRegarding salary, I agree that you do not want to be the one to address that first. For most jobs you probably have some kind of idea of what kind of figure to expect. It seems pretty unprofessional to go right for the numbers. I believe the idea with an interview is to make them want you, like they need you more for the job than you need them. Asking directly for the salary puts you in the position of doing it solely for the money, which to me, also points to a person just doing the minimums to get paid. That’s definitely not how you want a prospective company to view you.
-Chris Law