Job Hunter Newsletter

Phone Interviewing Techniques

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IN THIS ISSUE:

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Contents

- Job Alerts

Do you have a job alert set up yet? If not, you are missing out on a large number of job opportunities.

CollegeGrad.com is posting as many as 1000 new entry level jobs per day. If you haven't searched our site for jobs lately, please do so today:

And if you have not set up a job alert, now is the time to do so:

...by setting up a job alert, you will be informed via e-mail whenever a new job is posted at CollegeGrad.com that meets your criteria. Be the first to know about new opportunities!

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Contents

- Job Search Tip of the Week, by Brian Krueger, author of "College Grad Job Hunter," the #1 book for entry level job search:

"Phone Interviewing Techniques"

The Phone Personality Matching Technique
A variation on the previously discussed Personality Matching Technique (http://www.CollegeGrad.com/jobsearch/16-9.shtml) is to apply the same basic principles within your phone interview. Although you obviously cannot match the interviewer's physical characteristics, try to match the interviewer's speaking rate and pitch. Remember to stay within your personality range, but venture toward that portion of your range which most closely matches that of your interviewer. This is an excellent way to establish rapport quickly over distance and phone lines.

The Open and Available Technique
You have a major advantage in a phone interview which does not exist in a face-to-face interview. Namely, that you cannot be seen. Use this to your advantage.

Have all of your materials on yourself and the employer open and available on your desk as you are speaking on the phone. This includes not only your resume, but also a "cheat sheet" of compelling story subjects which you would like to introduce. It can also include a "cheat sheet" about the employer, including specific critical points describing the employer and their products.

As I am speaking with you on the other end of the phone, I have no idea that you are actually being prompted from a document as you are speaking. All I can hear is a well-informed, well-prepared interviewee. Keep in mind that this preparation is not "cheating" at all. It is preparation, pure and simple.

So have your materials open and available when you are preparing for a phone interview. They are there to support you and enhance your value to the employer, who will greatly respect your ability to answer questions with focus and meaningful content.

The Stand and Deliver Technique
Here is a simple technique to increase the enthusiasm and positive image that you project over the telephone: stand up. Whenever you are talking with a potential employer on the phone, stand up. It gets your blood flowing, improves your posture, and improves your response time.

It's interesting to note that many telemarketing companies have come to realize that standing can actually improve their sales, so they often provide the telemarketers with hands-free headsets that allow them to stand and pace back and forth. It helps give an action perspective to an otherwise passive activity. So apply this same technique to improve your telephone presence.

The Vanity Technique
When I was in college I had a roommate who enjoyed flexing his muscles in the mirror. He could do it for hours at a time. A little vain? A lot. Well, I am going to ask you to do the same thing (except leave out the flexing muscles part). In prep for a telephone interview (or any telephone contact), make sure that you have a mirror within view. Why? Because I want you to look into that mirror consistently throughout the phone call. And smile. You will improve your telephone presence 110 percent just by using this simple technique. You will find yourself coming across much friendlier, more interested, and more alert. If you are at all self-conscious about seeing yourself in the mirror, you can use the mirror as an occasional checkpoint. But for most of us, seeing oneself reflected back gives us the kind of feedback necessary to make instant modification toward a more positive presence.

Remember, you are standing, so a wall mirror usually works best. You can pick up a small wall mirror for a limited amount of cash. It's worth it.

Try it the next time you are on the phone. But don't do it with your roommate around.

Next newsletter: "Company-site Interviewing Success"

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- Help Spread The Word!

Do you know of someone who can benefit from the information in this newsletter? Simply forward this e-mail to them and tell them to subscribe at http://www.CollegeGrad.com/newsletter. Thanks for spreading the good word!

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Job Search Links:

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- Job Search Book Online

There are at least two other entry level Web sites that offer books on job searching, proclaming that they will tell you everything you need to know about entry level job search.

However, there is a very important point about these books they don't mention up front: they cost money.

At CollegeGrad.com, we give you two things they don't:

    1. The #1 entry level job search book ("College Grad Job Hunter").
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It's that simple. So don't buy the hype. Read the real information you need for FREE:

Don't ever pay for books or reports or resources of lower quality when you can access the very best quality information for free.

P.S. Yes, you can buy "College Grad Job Hunter" in hardcopy format as well at Amazon.com for $15 (actually, 30% off that price), but the online version is better. Why? Because the version at Amazon.com (the 2003 edition) is being continually updated at CollegeGrad.com. So the most current version of the book is actually the online, free version.

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