How to prepare for an IT phone interview

You probably have a pretty good idea of what to expect from a phone interview. But the unknown combined with the pressure of phone interviews might leave you nervous or doubting whether you can make a good enough impression to land the role.
But with the right preparation, you can take most of the stress out of the interview process and go in confident you’ll be showing them the absolute best version of yourself. This guide will help you focus on what’s most important in your phone interview prep so the next role you want is the role you get.
Having your interview over the phone takes some of the stress out of the process as you don’t need to worry about what you’re wearing or finding a new location on time. However there there are still some factors you should prepare for:

Change out of your pyjamas

Although the interviewer won’t see you, it’s important to dress the part, or at least change out of your pyjamas before your interview. This will get you in the right frame of mind for your interview.
Have a quiet location decided on before time
Whether it’s a quiet booth in the library or your home office. You should also make sure you’re prepared for the call 5-10 minutes before the scheduled time. Put your phone away and use the extra time to clear your head.

Make sure you’ve done your research

As you won’t have the opportunity to impress in person, this makes research even more important. Have the research of the interviewer and company sorted as well as covering your own resume and past experiences. Take some time to self reflect so you can build a compelling description or story of your experiences and aspirations – the skills you’ve developed, your professional achievements, and future goals. What is it about yourself that will best help you stand out from the other candidates the interviewer calls?

Practice replying to interview questions

You can’t always know exactly what you’ll be asked but you can usually predict the most likely questions that will come your way. Be prepared to answer questions about your experience, strengths, career goals, and interests.
Check if there will be a technical component to the interview. These are increasingly common in IT roles where they want to be able to observe your approach to real-world tech problems you’re likely to need in your role. This is often led by someone different to the interviewer such as a software engineer. So if you’ll be required to do a technical interview, don’t forget to also find out their details and check out their LinkedIn profile so you understand their role and where they fit into the organisation.

Smile

Phone interviews remove the element of body language – one of the main elements of communication. This means you are relying on your voice to convey your personality and enthusiasm. People can hear your smile, which makes them smile and think positive thoughts about you on the other end of the line.

Have notes on hand

A phone interview gives you the added benefit of being able to continually refer to pre-prepared notes during the interview. So have some key points prepared as responses to the most likely questions as well as having a few questions prepared of your own as you will often be asked at the conclusion of the interview if you have anything you’d like to ask the interviewer.

Have your resume ready

Have your resume, cover letter, and the job description handy, whether in paper form on your desk or on your computer. But don’t risk taking notes or Googleing answers – this will cause you yo seem distracted and make you loose track of the conversation. It’s important to stay present.

Think about how you want to be received

Technical skills and experience are great but at the end of the day, people are looking for candidates they can work well with so make an extra effort to be friendly and personable. It’s important to try and build rapport and make a connection with everyone you speak with. This is easier in person but also important in a phone or video interview. You want to leave the interviewer or panel with the impression you’re someone they’d like to be working with and will fit well into the company culture.
Are you considering a new IT or Digital role? Finite IT can help you find right one for you. For a confidential career chat, get in contact today.

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