5 Questions You Should Always Expect To Be Asked In A Phone Interview

5 Questions You Should Always Expect To Be Asked In A Phone Interview

By Lilian Wamaitha
Congratulations! You applied for that job, stood out and the employer now wants to conduct a phone interview.
But how do you prepare? What kind of questions will they ask?
A phone interview is no different from a face to face one and as such you should treat it with equal importance.
The only difference is that a phone interview is shorter and is a part of a screening process to determine who will be proceeding to the face to face interview.
Find in this article some of the common questions you may be asked during a phone interview.
1. Tell me…why did you apply for this role?
This is one of the questions that you will never miss in a phone interview.
The interviewer is not only looking for your enthusiasm for the role but also your knowledge of it and the company.
When asked this question, treat it as an opportunity to show the employer how much you know about the role and what excites you about it.
2. What are your salary expectations?
I asked a number of job seekers and 90% of them admitted that the salary question is one of the toughest questions they have to face in an interview.
With salaries, you need to be careful because you don’t want to quote so high that they will think they can’t afford you or too low that they think you don’t know your value.
The reason the interviewer will ask you this question during a phone interview is because they want to gauge whether they should continue with you.
I mean there is no point continuing with a face to face interview if your salary expectations don’t add up with what the company is offering.
Like an actual interview, do your research to know how much you should quote.
3. What is your notice period?
This is another question that will never miss in a phone interview.
The employer is trying to get a clear picture of your current situation and how quickly you are available for the role.
If the position is very urgent and you have to give a months’ notice, then you might not be what the employer is looking for.
4. Tell me a little about your relevant experience for this role
Like I said, phone interviews are relatively shorter than face to face interviews.
So when asked this question, the employer does not want to know about your entire work history.
Instead just pick out a few experiences and skills that are directly related to that particular role.
If you make it to the face to face stage, then you can narrate you entire professional experience.
5. Why do you want to leave you current role
How you answer this question could meant you getting a shot at a face to face interview or not.
Talking ill about your current or former employer is no go zone and will only reflect poorly on your character.
You could say something like “Although there are so many great things I love about my current role, I am looking for something more challenging that will help me develop my other skills.”
This shows that you are not only a hard worker but you are eager to learn new things.
With this in mind
How you handle a phone interview will ultimately determine if you get to meet the employer or not. When preparing treat it as you would treat a face to face interview preparing for the above questions. Phone interviews last for about 5 minutes and in this short time you should be able to sell your candidacy in a way that the employer will be looking forward to meeting you.
Your turn
Do you want to be confident and knowledgeable in your next job interview?
Would you like to know the best answers to difficult interview questions?
Do you want to overcome stress and develop confidence before you meet the interviewer?
What if you could practice for the real interview, get to know where you make mistakes and rectify before you meet the employer?
If you are serious on passing your next job interview, then book a mock interview coaching session today.