How To Answer 5 Important Phone Interview Questions

Phone interviews are really phone screens. Employers are looking for reasons to cut you from the list of people they’re interested in (because it cuts time and expense from their interviewing process).

No matter what career field you’re in, there are several common phone interview questions employers like to ask to get a feel for you as a candidate. Answer these well and you’ll set yourself apart and have a much greater chance of making it through this hurdle and into a face-to-face interview.

1. “Tell me about yourself.”

In any interview, this is a common opening question. However, it’s so open-ended, many job seekers flub the answer by talking about personal things (where you live, your family, hobbies, etc.) or not knowing what to say at all (“um…”). This is your first chance to sell yourself for the job.

Start with your education, which means what degree you have or recent (relevant) classes or certifications. Then, mention a few noteworthy accomplishments that would be especially interesting to someone hiring you for the job—check the job description if you need help.

2. “Why are you leaving your current job?” (Or, “Why did you leave your last job?”)

While you might be leaving your job for negative reasons, it’s important not to mention anything negative in this answer. It’s never a good idea to be negative in any way during a job interview.

A good, positive way to answer this is to focus on why you are running TO this job, instead of why you are running AWAY from your old job.

For instance: “I enjoy the work environment of my current job, but I feel that it isn’t challenging enough. I’m looking for an opportunity to better use my skills, and I think that [this position] at [this company] will allow me to do this.”

Or, “This job is such a perfect fit for me that I couldn’t pass it up. I believe I could be very successful in this role because of my skills in X, Y, and Z, and I am excited about the opportunity.”

If you were let go at your last job and you can truthfully say it was a mass layoff/organizational shakeup that didn’t have anything to do with your job performance, make sure you mention that.

3. “Why did you apply for this job?”

Just like anyone else potentially entering a relationship, the interviewer wants to know your level of interest and your motivation for wanting to be there. A good answer would sound something like: “This job is a great fit. My skills and background in A, B, and C mean that I would be successful.”

As much as you can, talk about how you not only meet their qualifications for this job, you exceed them in some way.

4. “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?”

Among other things, your answer here will help them see that this job is a reasonable step in your long-term plan, not a stopgap that keeps you afloat until you find something better.

Don’t automatically say that you see yourself in a management or executive position. In large corporations, it may be OK, but in smaller companies, there may not be room for advancement like that. Stick with the safer answer that mentions how you expect to have honed the skills you have now, developed new ones, and contributed in a meaningful way to the company.

5. “Why should we invite you for an on-site (face-to-face) interview?”

This question is the phone interview version of, ‘Why should we hire you?’ Your answer could be along the lines of, “I believe I can contribute in a meaningful way to the success of [this company], and that my skills and personal values match this position perfectly. When we meet in person, I think you’ll see that I’m a great fit for this job and the company.”

How To Successfully Talk About Failure In A Job Interview

3 Keys To Answering Any Interview Question About Failure:

1. Choose something that really was a failure
2. Make sure it isn’t something that has a negative effect on your ability to do the job
3. Be able to talk about how you learned something from it that made you better at your job

 Choose a real failure

You can’t say you’ve never failed, because that will be an obvious lie. On the other hand, you don’t want to talk about the time you lost a key account that caused the company to go bankrupt, or the time you accidentally set fire to the building. Strike a nice balance by talking about something where you learned from your mistakes and as a result, became better at your job.

Be strategic with your choice

Just like when discussing your weaknesses, don’t choose a failure that directly relates to the skill set you need for this job—so if you’re in sales, don’t talk about how you insulted a customer. Talk about how you overlooked an issue and had to fix it—and now you always have a Plan B. If you’re in accounting, don’t talk about how you transposed a number and caused someone to be audited. Talk about how you miscommunicated with a coworker and what you did to repair the relationship—and found a great book on being a better communicator, so you haven’t had that issue again.

Tell what you learned and how it’s made you better

Someone who can admit a mistake and show that they can improve (and want to) will be attractive to any employer. Ending your story with how it’s made you better brings what is otherwise a negative in the interview back to the positive reasons they should hire you.

Here are some good examples for how to successfully talk about failure in an interview:

One failure was that in my first job, I missed a deadline for a project. I knew that couldn’t happen again, so I took a course to learn my Outlook program in greater detail so that I could use it to keep myself on time and organized. I’ve never missed a deadline again. The great thing that came from it was that I was able to really boost my productivity and provide a greater benefit to my organization.

I am a naturally optimistic person, which usually means I have a great attitude and I get along with everyone, but once it caused me to overlook the possibility for an issue with my project. The issue turned into a problem that I had to solve, when it would have been easier to avoid it in the first place. Since then, I’ve learned to always look for pitfalls and make contingency plans—so when things do sometimes happen, I’m ready.

When you admit the failure, always talk about the positive outcome from it. Show how you learned from your mistake and won’t make it again.

Baby On Board! How To Job Search While Pregnant

Job searching for two? Congratulations! As a pregnant job seeker, you’re likely experiencing a myriad of emotions – excitement, happiness, fear, and stress. Taking on a job search while pregnant can be a challenge. Fortunately, we’ve got some great tips that will make your job search a little easier:

1. Understand what’s important to you.

“As a brand-new mother, I can say with overwhelming certainty that having a child will change your life – and your priorities,” says Amanda Augustine, career advice expert for TopResume. “When you’re evaluating different job opportunities, consider what’s most important to you when it comes to the role and the organization.”

Consider what kinds of things you’ll need in order to both perform your best on the job and support your growing family. What kind of benefits are going to be important to you as a mom? Here are a few things you should consider when researching companies and roles:

• Competitive Compensation Package
• Quality of Insurance/Benefits
• Parental Leave Policies
• Flexible Work Arrangements
• Ability to Telecommute

Augustine also recommends checking out Working Mother’s 100 Best Companies List when building your list of companies to target.

2. Focus on what you have to offer.

“Don’t begin each job interview (or job application) by mentioning your pregnancy,” says Augustine. “Remember, the focus should be placed on learning more about the position and communicating your interest in the role and your qualifications, not your family plans.”

Employers are looking for great candidates. Just because you’re pregnant doesn’t mean you’re not a great candidate. Instead of focusing on your pregnancy, showcase why you’re the best person for the job. In fact, if your pregnancy isn’t visibly obvious yet, there’s no need to mention your pregnancy during the interview at all, according to Augustine.

3. Be on the lookout for illegal questions.

Employers aren’t allowed to inquire about your marital status, children, or your future family plans during the hiring process. Watch out for seemingly innocent questions that stem from a casual conversation such as, “Sorry I’m running a little late – had to drop the kids off at soccer practice… Do you have any kids? Love ‘em, but they’re taking over my life with their activities!”

The truth is, your interviewer might not realize that these questions are inappropriate. He or she might just be inexperienced or extra friendly. However, it’s important to tactfully avoid answering these questions because the wrong answer can impact your future at the company.

As a result, it’s important to handle the situation tactfully. Remember, your goal is to make a great impression. Calling out an interviewer for asking an illegal question is, unfortunately, not the best strategy when trying to accomplish this. You can learn how to deal with illegal questions by reading this article.

4. Don’t talk about maternity-leave until you’ve gotten the offer.

While it’s tempting to ask about the company’s maternity-leave policy during the hiring process, Augustine strongly recommends holding off until you’ve been offered the job — in writing.

“Whenever possible, save this conversation until you’re ready to negotiate your compensation,” says Augustine.

Instead, do your homework. Research the company’s parental-leave policy on sites such as Working Mother, Glassdoor, and CareerBliss. Doing a little detective work beforehand can save you some major headaches down the road.

5. Think ahead.

“Keep conversations about your maternity leave to a minimum with the employer,” says Augustine. “Remember, it’s only a temporary absence and shouldn’t impact your performance.”

However, you will need to give your employer a heads up on a few things, so think ahead. When it comes time to discuss your pregnancy plans with your employer, be prepared to answer questions like…

• “When you anticipate going on maternity leave?”
• “When you’ll return to the office?”
• “How you plan to keep your responsibilities covered to ensure a smooth transition?”

“When you take the time to prepare thoughtful responses,” says Augustine, “you’re showing your new employer your commitment to the company’s success and also demonstrating your value as a long-term employee.”

As a mother-to-be, you’ve got enough on your plate these days – don’t make your job search more stressful than it needs to be. Instead, take these tips and apply them to your search today!

6 Foods That Will Give You The Boost You Need To Power Through Your Workday

Here Are 6 Foods That Will Give You The Boost You Need To Power Through Your Workday:

1. Green Vegetables

Most employees love the free lunches that their companies offer. But guess what? Most of those lunches are carbohydrate-laden foods like pasta and pizza that will put you into a carb coma by 3:00 p.m. Consider swapping out the pasta and pizza for a big bowl of leafy green vegetables with extra protein and you will find that your memory and focus skyrocket by 3:00 p.m. Green vegetables are loaded with Vitamin B and Folic Acid which are known to be huge memory boosters.

2. Salmon And Avocado

A piece of salmon for lunch instead of a turkey sandwich can charge up your internal batteries with Omega-3 Fatty Acids and increase your mood, memory, and concentration. Skip the rice and potatoes. While they taste great, you want to maximize the energy derived from the salmon. Instead, add a salad on the side topped with avocado, which is also a great healthy fat.

3. Water

This is an area I struggle with too – you want to drink water, but you don’t want to spend all day running to the bathroom. It’s a double-edge sword, but our bodies depend on water to function, so it is important to keep hydrated which will also keep your focus and prevent fatigue. Consider keeping a 20 oz. thermos or bottle close at your desk and fill it three times a day at work. You will be close to achieving your daily requirement of eight glasses (64 oz.) by the end of the workday.

4. Eggs

Eggs for breakfast can make a huge difference in energy production throughout the day. Egg yolks contain high sources of Vitamin B and eggs are notorious for high protein content. Consider using one whole egg and two egg whites to keep your breakfast extra lean.

5. Grapefruit

Grapefruit is known as a power food that loads the body with antioxidants, potassium, pectin, and Vitamin C to fight mood swings, memory loss, and regulate blood sugar levels. The best part about grapefruits is that they are high in fiber which leaves you feeling fuller for longer.

 6. Dark Chocolate

Yep, you read that right. I saved the best for last. Who doesn’t want to add dark chocolate into their daily food regimen? Cacao is a natural stress fighter and focus booster. It also has caffeine which can give you added energy.

Eating these foods during the workday will help you boost energy levels, improve your concentration, and most importantly, increase your productivity!

How To Discuss Salary Requirements With The Hiring Manager

A lot of people find the subject of salary negotiation tricky. Do you wait to bring up the salary requirements or do you wait until the potential employer does it first?

When you’re dealing with an internal recruiter or a recruitment agency, they should make sure that they know what your expectations are before arranging any interviews.

It is sometimes hard to be precise when stating your salary expectations. If you only mention your minimum required amount, you’re unlikely to get anything more at the negotiation stage. If you mention a number that’s much higher than your current salary – you’re risking pricing yourself out of the job.

It is safer to give out a range that you’re interested in at the start of the process. There are a lot of salary surveys online (many published by recruitment agencies), so it should be relatively easy to get an idea what someone with your experience should be earning in your area.

Your negotiating power of course depends on a variety of factors. The first is your negotiating skill – your ability to convince the employer to give you what you want. The second is the job market. If a lot of people are out there selling the same skills and experience as you, you lose some negotiating edge.

The third factor affecting your negotiating power is the type of job you’re being hired to do. Generally, the higher up the corporate ladder you go, the more you can bargain for wages, benefits and perks.

Let me give you some advice on how to make salary negotiation process a bit easier!

Focus on the needs of the employer.

When you negotiate salary, you must remember that you’re involved in a sales process. Your goal is to persuade the customer – the employer – to pay as much as possible for your services. The only way to do that is to convince the employer that doing so will pay off handsomely for the company.

Remember, you must focus on the needs of the employer and not on your own needs when you sell yourself in an interview. The same applies in salary negotiations.

Employers base their salary decisions on one thing only: how much value they think you’ll add to the company. If you want $5k more than the employer offers, you have to prove you’re worth $5k more to the company.

How do you do that? By reminding the employer of the benefits and advantages you offer and by citing examples of how your past accomplishments benefited previous employers. In other words, by using the same sales techniques you used to convince the employer to make you a job offer in the first place.

Be polite, enthusiastic and professional.

During salary negotiations, be flexible and self-confident, but not arrogant and demonstrate that you’re looking for a win-win solution.

A few years ago a company I recruited for withdrew the offer as the candidate was too pushy and it appeared like he was only interested in the money. You don’t want to adopt a “take-it-or-leave-it” attitude here – remain polite and professional.

Ask for a bit more & continue selling yourself.

It is a good idea to ask for a little bit more than you think the employer wants to pay, which gives you room to negotiate. For example, if the employer offers you $55k and you want $60k, ask for $63-64k and then work backward towards your targeted salary.

Remember to justify why you’re requesting more money by focusing on the employer’s needs, not yours.

 Finally, when you make a salary request, offer a short, simple explanation as to why this amount is appropriate and then – remain silent. Wait for the employer to respond instead of going on and on about why you should get what you’ve asked for.

Hope you’ll find these tips useful – best of luck in your negotiations!

3 Phone Interview Tips To Build Your Confidence

Do you get nervous before phone interviews? You are not alone… it’s very common. Here are three tips to help you feel more confident, so you give better answers in your phone interview and get invited to the next step: the face-to-face interview.

Wear Your Best, Most Confidence-Inspiring Suit

The clothes we wear have an impact on how we feel and how we behave. So, if you want to feel and sound like a professional on the phone, make sure you are wearing a professional suit. It will come across in your voice.

If it’s too tight or uncomfortable, your voice will show it. On top of that, you will be distracted, and may not give the best answers to interview questions.

Over-Prepare

Some job seekers believe they don’t have to do anything before the phone interview—but those are the job seekers who aren’t likely to move on to the face-to-face.

The more you can learn about the company and the job before the interview, the better off you are.

You want to study their website, and look them up on LinkedIn. Find others who have worked for the company and see if you can learn anything from their profiles. Of course, Google the company to find out what’s going on with them. Based on your research, make a list of questions to ask. You may not get to all of them, but having questions to ask of your own will help you perform better.  In addition, write out answers (or outline them) to common interview questions, so you don’t forget important points.

With all of this pre-interview work, you will give better answers to questions, you will ask more intelligent questions, and you will be more confident. There is nothing like knowing you are prepared and ready for anything to calm your nerves.

Be Extra-Organized

Before your phone interview is scheduled to begin, print out all of your papers and notes and lay them out in front of you—your resume, your notes about points you want to make, notes about the company, your list of questions and answers, and a blank sheet of paper to take notes on. Paper is better than computer in this instance, because it’s easier, quieter, and more reliable. The last thing you want is a computer that freezes up, or tell-tale clicking in the background that makes it seem like you’re not paying attention to the conversation.

Your ability to have all of these “cheat sheets” in front of you is one of the only advantages of phone interviews, so you should make the most of it.

How To Answer Interview Questions About Why You’re Leaving Your Current Job

If you are interviewing for a position that is essentially a lateral move, this can be a touchier answer. In many cases, people don’t leave their jobs for positive reasons—something has happened to drive them away. If this is what’s happening for you, be very careful with how you phrase your answer.

You never want to say anything negative in a job interview, because what will come across to your interviewer is that YOU are negative, rather than your situation.

Any reason you give is best if it’s more neutral than negative. It should be a factor in your old job that won’t be a part of this new one—but also something that you aren’t angry about. Your attitude should be more like, “It is what it is,” and you aren’t taking it personally. For instance:

• If your current job requires a lot of travel but the new one doesn’t, you can say, “My current job requires a lot of travel, and I’m ready to be home in my own bed a little more often.” Of course, if the situation is reversed, you could say, “I love that this job requires a lot of travel. I’ve been ready to get out and about more.”
• If your current job is with a small company and you are interviewing with a large one, point out something that’s inherent in each of these types of companies, as in “I’ve loved being at Small Company and learned a lot, but there’s not a lot of room for growth or promotions and I’m ready to be somewhere I have the chance to move up.” If you’re moving from a large to a small company, you could say, “I loved working for Large Company and learned a lot, but I’d love the chance to really dig into helping a smaller company grow.”
• If the new job is in another city, you could say, “I’ve loved working at Other City, but I am moving to this area and so I need a job here.”

Whatever your answer is, be brief—no more than a sentence. Make sure that in your answer, you give them a reason that you are running TO this new company (because of the fit, the culture, the location, the opportunity, and son on.). That’s where your focus should be—not on the past, but on the future.