Telephone interviews save a lot of time and therefore money as the first step in a hiring process. Phone interviews help recruiters, agencies and companies screen candidates for skills and experience requirements. They are invaluable when hiring people in other parts of the country or the world.

The bad part about a phone interview is that you cant see the other person, so you cant read body language to get a sense of what the interviewer is thinking. On the flip side of that, though, the best part about a phone interview is that they cant see you, so you can use notes and references that would never fly at an in-person meeting.

Don't underestimate the importance of the call. A poor performance on the phone will mean your out of the running. Whether its a scheduled appointment or the phone rings out of the blue with someone who'd like to talk to you right then and there, extra preparation and awareness can make all the difference.

A few important tips:

If its a scheduled call, don't be late or miss the call. Punctuality is imperative. If its not scheduled and you miss the call, don't have a silly voice mail message and make sure to return the call pronto.

Don't be in a noisy place. Background noise, especially if its kids or traffic, is very distracting to you and the person on the other end of the phone. Find a quiet place, even it its inside your parked car.

Don't forget to keep your cell phone fully charged.

Don't say anything that contradicts your resume. Nothing says Huh? more than saying you worked somewhere five years when your resume says you were there for three.

Don't be at your computer trying to multi-task. A good interview requires all of your attention. And we can hear you typing.

Keep in mind that you are not likely to actually be hired from a phone interview, but its possible to get them to like you enough. The goal of the call is to be invited to an in-person meeting where you can continue the conversations, and get an offer. Your job is to present your background and situation so you are very clearly the kind of person they are looking for. A successful phone interview results in an invitation to meet in person.

Always have near your phone:

A copy of your master resume for easy reference.

A notebook and pens. Nothing says unprepared more than saying hold on while I find a pen and paper.

A list or file of all of the jobs you've applied to, with the content of the posting or job description. Not all jobs are the same, and what the interviewer is looking for wont be either. Have the posting so you know their priorities and can address them; if you can, make notes in advance.

Your research on the company. If you have advance notice, check out the company's website and print any key pages. Google to find out what others say about the company.

A copy of your cover note so you can remember and reiterate what you told them about why you are a fit for that job.

To prepare for the call:

Write the interviewers name, phone number and the time and date of the call at the top of your notes (Do this in advance for scheduled calls.) Then you can use their name with confidence during the call.

Have a list of thoughtful relevant questions to ask about the job, the company, the reason the job is open. Questions should be appropriate to your level; a senior executive and an entry level person should have entirely different questions. Even if you never get to ask them, planning them in advance makes a difference.

Make a list of questions you expect them to ask you, and make some notes about your answers so you can answer with clarity. Don't use canned responses, but know what you want to say.

Be ready and waiting for the call at least five minutes before time. Rushing into an interview is never a good idea.

Have something to do in case the caller is running late. A book, email to check or anything that keeps you busy.

Be alone in a quiet private place, so you can speak freely about without interruption.

Plan for the call to last at least 30 minutes, but leave at least an hour in case it takes longer. Good interviews, in person or on the phone, often last longer than expected.

How to look good on the phone:

Remember, they are visualizing you based on your phone persona, so:

Smile when you talk, even you are alone or it makes you self-conscious. A smile comes through in your voice.

Imagine the person on the other end is smiling, too. It will make you like them more, and that will show.

To sound more energetic, stand up and walk around during the conversation.

Be polite and warm in your tone and the words you choose. Talk like you are chatting with someone you already know who you really like and respect.

Remember to breathe. Breathing relaxes your body, keeps your mind sharp and makes your voice sound better.

Avoid profanity, even if the interviewer uses it. It rarely will make anyone think better of you.

Listen as much as you talk, and listen with intention. Tune in to your intuition as you listen, rather than listening with half your brain while the other half is thinking about how to reply.

Don't chew gum, eat or drink, even if its lunchtime. If you are hungry, have a snack beforehand so you are clearheaded and not distracted by thinking about food.

Don't talk too little or too much. Without body language signals to let you know how the other person is reacting to what you're saying, you will have to monitor yourself.

Answer questions directly and succinctly, with a few sentences, and then pause so the interviewer can respond. Cant-get-a-word-in-edgewise interviews never make a good impression, nor do cryptic short replies.

Be genuine and honest. Phoniness is a turn-off on the phone as well as in person.

Take notes of what the interviewer shares. These will be invaluable as you prepare for the next steps.

Let them know you are interested in the job and the next step. Honest enthusiasm works.

Ask them where they are in their hiring process, and what that process is going to be.

Follow up with a brief, friendly thank-you note that tells them you hope to get to meet them in person.

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Phone Interviews:

With the recession-induced overflow of job seekers, phone interviews are becoming a bit more intense, says the Wall Street Journal. There are far more candidates who fulfill the basic requirements of a job description than in the past, thus giving interviewers the task of drilling down through the masses by asking the tougher questions one might not expect until an in-person meeting, but not expecting those deeper questions, may eliminate the chance to redeem yourself in person or flash that million dollar smile. Basically, having a great phone presence and being prepared are more important than ever. Here are some tips to gear up and get noticed (some are from a previous column I did on the topic and some are from the wisdom of the WSJ.)

-Allot yourself more time than in the past some of these tougher phone interviews can go upwards of an hour.

-Don't multi-task! Give your interviewer your full attention, they'll notice if your head is in more places than one (and definitely don't let that second place be a drive-thru!)

-Be brief and stay on topic. The interviewer doesn't want your life story. Talking too much is one of the biggest mistakes phone interviewees make, but dont realize it until they're caught saying, What was it we were talking about?

-Make a cheat sheet! Have a list of statistics and key accomplishments you'll want to mention in front of you. With interviewers digging deeper, you don't want to hesitate or have to think too much.

-Take notes. Its harder to show you are listening intently over the phone. You want to be able to keep on track with what the original question was or go back to something if you think of a better answer or example later in the conversation.

-Do your homework. Have questions prepared and plenty of research on the company. If this might be your only shot, make it count!

-Walk around while you are talking to keep your energy up or look in a mirror and smile while you talk. You want to sound enthusiastic and looking at your reflection reminds you of how you are being perceived.

-Take some deep breaths before you take the call. You don't want that shaky nervous voice vibrating across the line.

-Don't interrupt. Its rude in person and on the phone.

These rules of thumb are more important than ever when phone interviews are becoming more and more rigorous. Its easy to get overwhelmed, but if you map out your conversation before it begins you'll be more in control and that confidence you'll feel will come across to your interviewer.

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How to Ace a Phone Interview

For years, the phone interview was a preliminary step that allowed an employer to give a candidate the once-over and schedule an in-person interview. But these days, many recruiters are using the phone interview to pose the kinds of in-depth interview questions previously reserved for finalists. What's more, job hunters say the bar for getting to the next level has been raised much higher, catching many of them off-guard.

In a recent first interview for a senior marketing job, Robyn Cobb was grilled by a hiring manager for an hour and a half on topics ranging from her work history and marketing philosophy to her knowledge of the company and its industry.

"I thought it was never going to end," says the 45-year-old Ms. Cobb, who lives in Alpharetta, Georgia, and was laid off in December from a mid-size communications firm.

Until recently, skilled candidates could breeze through phone interviews in 10 minutes or less by answering a few softball questions. Little preparation was necessary, and most people could expect to be invited for a "real" interview before hanging up.

These days, job hunters need to reserve an hour or more for a phone interview. They may be asked to discuss their full work history, including the exact dates of their job experience in various business areas. They may also be expected to cite examples and exact stats that illustrate their strengths and offer details on how they would handle the position.

During a call earlier this year about a director of Internet marketing job, Jaclyn Agy of Wheat Ridge, Colorado, says she was asked to describe about 10 different marketing initiatives she's worked on, plus provide metrics resulting from each. "I didn't have those stats off the top of my head," she recalls of the hour-long conversation. "I expected to be asked that in a face-to-face."

Ms. Agy, 30, says she assumed she'd need only to describe two or three past accomplishments in general terms. "I was taken back by how specific [the interviewer] was getting," she says. Ms. Agy was better prepared for a follow-up phone interview. She was later invited to meet with eight members of the hiring company in its Denver office, though she didn't land the position.

Employers say they've raised the phone-interview stakes in part because they're attracting more candidates who meet their basic qualifications. They're digging deep to identify the best ones, and in some cases adding second-round rigor to phone screens as one way to accomplish that.

"You can be pickier," says Joyce A. Foster, vice president of human resources at Hilex Poly Co. LLC in Hartsville, South Carolina. Salaried job openings at the company's 10 U.S. locations have been attracting up to three times as many qualified applicants -- including more candidates with experience in Hilex's niche, plastic film and bag manufacturing and recycling -- than during more robust economic times, she says.

"Before, if a person had only recycling experience in paper, we might have said OK," Ms. Foster says. "Today we can be more specific. I'm going to find someone who's an even better fit."

Recruiters are also seeking to weed out those who seem likely to change jobs as soon as the economy turns around. "We're trying to determine whether what we're offering truly meets a job seeker's long-term objectives," says Paul Newman, assistant vice president of human resources at Oppenheimer Funds. And when it comes to candidates who have been laid off, recruiters for the New York-based asset-management firm want to know the circumstances behind what happened. "Was this person a high-performance, talented individual who was let go because of the economics of the business," he says, "or an average employee let go in the first round" of layoffs?

For many firms, evaluating candidates over the phone also serves as a way to save on recruiting costs. "In this economy, you can't afford to fly every person out for an interview," says Jeff Cousens, vice president of organizational development at Patrick Energy Services Inc. in Lisle, Illinois. After joining the energy concern in January, he instructed recruiters to complete up to four comprehensive phone interviews with candidates before inviting finalists in. Previously, they made just one brief call, mainly to schedule in-person interviews. "When a candidate comes in to meet the hiring manager, recruiters have already gone through every detail to make sure they're a fit," says Mr. Cousens.

Job seekers should prepare for a phone interview as seriously as they do for an in-person one. When asked about your qualifications, for example, you can craft a better answer by asking what the company wants and why.

If you're asked how many years of experience you have with a program you have used extensively, but not for years, you could reply by asking how much is required and at what level, says Ms. O'Donnell. Maybe the company chose a number based on how much experience the last person in the position had, and you might have just as much, but in a condensed time frame. You can then provide a convincing reason as to why you should be considered for the job even if your answer doesn't match exactly what the recruiter is looking for.

Preparation Can Help Make Your Phone Interview a Success. You should also prepare to answer more complex and detailed questions in phone interviews by creating a list of key statistics and abbreviated answers to commonly asked questions, says Bill McGowan, founder of communications-coaching firm Clarity Media Group Inc. Some examples:

What do you know about the company?

Why do you want the job?

What are your greatest strengths?

What are your career goals?

How do you see yourself fitting in?

"What traps a lot of people is they think and talk at the same time. They make up answers on the fly," says Mr. McGowan. "It's better if you know your conversational path."

Don't expect to defer answering questions to your first meeting with a hiring manager, says Maureen Crawford Hentz, a talent-acquisition manager at Danvers, Massachusetts-based lighting manufacturer Osram Sylvania Inc. That may have been the case in the past, but not now. "People think if you're talking to someone in HR, this isn't a real interview," she says. But these days, it might be your only shot.

Be sure to brush up on your phone etiquette, too. Ms. Crawford Hentz says candidates have put her on hold while they answered another call or tended to their children. Once she could tell a candidate was visiting a drive-through restaurant during a call because she heard a loudspeaker requesting the person's lunch order.

Finally, be mindful of common faux pas, such as giving long-winded answers that go off topic. "Sometimes the longer you talk, the more it sounds like you're trying to explain your way through something," says Mr. McGowan. "The most confident people don't need to drone on." Another common flub: answering recruiters' questions before they've finished speaking. Not only does that show disrespect, but it "makes it seem like you have stocked, canned answers," he says.

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Telephone Interviews

Many firms pre-screen their job applicants before scheduling an actual interview with the candidate. One of the most frequent methods used to filter unwanted candidates is the telephone interview, where the recruiter often asks you questions that they know bore you.

I recently had two telephone interviews with two big firms: one for the Program Manager position in a leading software development firm in the US, and another one for the Business Analyst position in a local telecommunication firm. The phone call from the software development firm was scheduled, while the telecommunication firm completely surprised me.

Being telephone interviewed for the first time in my life, I find it quite an interesting experience. I spent the same amount of time preparing for the telephone interviews as I would for a regular interview. Here is how I prepared them:

1. Research, research, research

When the recruiter asks you what would you like to do in my firm, you better have a good answer for that. If you provided a very general answer such as I would like to apply for a managerial position, the recruiter knows right away you have no idea what the firm is doing. Be more specific about the position that you are applying to, for example, I would like to apply for a managerial position in internal sales that shows that you have done your research, and you have specific interests in the firm.

In my case, I clearly stated that I would like to be the Program Manager of a certain product line. For the other firm, I mentioned I would be interested in working in a specific team. The recruiter sounded a little surprised that I actually went over their websites.

2. Know your sales pitch Knowing what you have in your head is only half way to successful. Matching the experience you have with what is required for the job you are interviewing for is the key to a successful telephone interview. For example, you may have five years of project management experience and you can speak ten different languages, but how would it be relevant if you are applying for a position in Material and Chemical Research Analyst?

The best way to prepare for your sales pitch is to research about the company first, write down the requirements, and match the qualifications with your resume. Your goal is to convince the recruiter not only you have a great personality that will fit the firms culture, but you also have the necessary skills for the position.

I strongly recommend you to write down the answers to possible interviewing questions, but hide the answer sheet during the telephone interview process. The recruiter wishes to have a conversation with you, not to listen to you reading about yourself.

3. What do others say?

Regardless who you are, remember, internet search engines are always your best friend. You can find out what others say about the process you are about to go through, and some people online actually share the questions they were asked. Knowing the interview process gives you a competitive edge towards those who do not, and helps you to prepare questions that are more meaningful and relevant.

4. Expect the unexpected Every once a while you will interview with recruiters that throw you puzzles. While they may expect you to come up with the right answer, most likely they just want to see if you can think on your feet. Any answer that you can provide reasons to back it up is a good answer. The worst answer in this case would be I have no idea or I give up.

Now you are ready to show your interest, and tell the recruiter why you are a good fit to the firm. Here is what I recommend you to do during the telephone interview:

1. Find a quiet place, and have pens and papers ready. This is the most important. Would you conduct your phone interview in a night club, or a busy hallway? Having a quiet background helps you to concentrate on the interview, and shows your respect for the recruiter.

2. Have a computer available beside you. Imagine if your recruiter asks you who are the Oceans 12? A simple search on the internet would give you the answer in 10 seconds!

3. Having a cup of water beside you. You would need to drink water especially if the telephone interview will last longer than 15 minutes. Quietly grab the cup and take a sip, and you will nail that question with a refreshed voice!

4. Have a copy of resume in front of you. Although you may know your resume inside out, it is still a good idea to keep a copy in front of you so you can refer to the resume during the interview process. In my case, the resume was on the computer screen five minutes before the recruiters called.

5. Relax

6. Ask questions. Good questions show that you have done your research, and you are highly interested in learning further about the firm.

Here are the dont's.

* Having your telephone interview at inappropriate places.

On the bus, in the washroom, during the shower, etc. If the recruiter calls you while you are busy, just be polite and ask the recruiter to call back later. If the recruiter scheduled the interview with you, then you should be prepared.

* Drinking too much water during the interview.

You should keep your water consumption sessions as discreet as possible. Drinking too much water, especially if you are talking, shows that you are disrespectful.

* Not knowing your resume, or over-referring to your resume.

Avoid phrases such as as you can see, under paragraph three line two I have done The recruiter is not calling you to go through your resume with you; they are there to learn what is not on the resume.

* Over-relaxed.

It is good to be relaxed, but not over-relaxed. Do not lie on the bed and talk to the recruiter! It makes you sound terrible and you may lose focus easily.

Both interviews went relatively well, and both parties promised that I would hear from them within a week. The next interviews would be more technical, and if everything goes well, I will have the chance to meet the real people.

If I have the chance to do it again, I would probably slow down a bit during the telephone interview process. Instead of saying words as they appear in my brain, I should have taken my time to think about the question, and then provide the answer. At the end of the interview I would have asked for immediate feedback.

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By: Jeff Farmer, MA NCCC
©Christian Employment Resource, 2010