Most of your preparation will happen long before the call itself. You need to work hard on your communication skills and practice expressing your thoughts in a concise and professional manner. See our guides on Communication Skills for advice there. In this article, we cover 11 more general points for a successful telephone interview.

Be in a quiet environment

While this is obvious, make sure you are in a quiet space where you won't be interrupted. While you can of course mute the call if you are, you're unlikely to get away with this without the caller noticing. Inform your housemates or parents that you will be on an important call and that you can't be disturbed.

Test your audio

Most modern phones are absolutely fine with phone calls but, you should check anyway. Sometimes your phone's microphone can be very poor quality and it may be advisable to wear headphones with an inbuilt mic.

Decent mobile signal

Be somewhere that it is very unlikely for your mobile signal to drop. This is an awkward situation to be in.

Know who is supposed to call who

Make sure you check the details on who is supposed to be calling who. You don't want to leave them waiting.

On the flipside, if it has been more than 5 minutes since you were due to be called by the recruiter, it is worth calling them yourself. You may reach an answerphone or a busy line, but you may be put through. Either way, it shows you were ready and not afraid to be proactive.

Dress to impress

Although the recruiter can't see you, being in "work" or "smart" clothes can often make you feel more professional and sub-consciously be presented through the call. So dress smart!

Stand up

Standing up will naturally open up your system and allow you to carry your voice slightly better. It will also allow you to move around a little, which will lead to you coming across more naturally on the call.

Smile!

Again, they can't see you, but smiling will change your entire mood, persona and voice through the call. It will be noticed! Smile, smile, smile!

Water

Have a glass of water at the ready. Your voice will become dry quickly with nerves and through speaking for a long period of time. Don't be afraid to have a sip while the recruiter is talking or take a slight pause while you are answering to have a drink.

Refer to your notes as little as possible

You want to come across as naturally as possible. Refering to your notes will break your line of thought and your speaking pattern. Try to refer to them as little as possible.

Take notes!

Take notes down of what the employer is asking you or any useful information. This could be valuable for the next stages in the process.

Yes, that means write down their name!!

Ask questions

If you don't understand something, ask.

But more importantly, the recruiter will be expecting you to have some questions about the company, role or the process at the end of the call. Don't just hang up with a quick thanks, show your interest.

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