Phone Interviews

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After hearing last week that I may have AS (from my new therapist), I've been doing lots of thinking and reflecting (well, I already do WAY too much thinking and reflecting but perhaps this is from a new perspective).

I've only had two phone interviews and I got those jobs. Otherwise, I have horrible luck with job interviews.

After engineering school I had trouble finding a job. Then I had a phone interview for a job where the head office was in a different city. I could sit, fidget, stroke my hair, wring my hands, whatever, and just be relaxed. Also, I was in my pyjamas and had my notes in front of me. Eventually I went to the branch office, but I was probably a bit more relaxed knowing that they already liked me a bit.

In law I had tons of job interviews because of great grades, but never an offer. I was starting to get embarrassed because all of my classmates had jobs. Then I had a phone interview, which isn't usual and only occured because I had recently had surgery and was not able to attend in person.

Maybe things are better over the phone because they don't see my blank stare, lack of eye contact, my fidgeting, and also, there is no expectation that I will pick up on body language? I can also read from my list of questions without it being obvious. I guess there are a few awkward interruptions on the phone, but comparatively, I think the phone is much better.

Any similar experiences? Thoughts?

I feel the same way. I've been told that I'm great on the phone. When I'm talking on the phone, I'm always pacing frantically, flapping my arms around, madly doodling on a piece of paper, but it's fine because no one sees any of it. I can totally focus on the content of what I'm saying, rather than whether I'm sitting up straight or making eye contact. If all my interviews were by phone I'd be a lot more successful.

I dunno if anyone can relate but I actually get a lot more nervous on the phone than in person. Especially when I have an interview scheduled at time X and it's now, say, X + 5 minutes and the person still hasn't called. Waiting for the phone to ring is quite unnerving..

One thing I recommend paying attention to and avoiding is talking in monotone. That's what I sometimes catch myself doing, and try to stop before I sabotage my chances. To NTs, monotone indicates boredom and/or carelessness. So try to add inflection to your voice when doing a phone interview.

I have a phone interview next week for a GIS position in South Dakota.

Good luck Tim!

It's in Rapid City, close to Mt. Rushmore.

Phone interviews are great. Like people have said, you can relax a bit and let yourself go, sort of.

I recently had a phone interview, didn't go too badly. Got invited for the in-person interview and because it was with the person who had interviewed me over the phone, and nobody else (I hate interview panels!) I felt very comfortable, almost too comfortable. Upshot was I was offered the job.

My advice, don't treat phone interviews as somehow inferior, go for it like you would at a face-to-face interview. Yes, a phone interview says that the company had more interesting applications than they bargained for and they're trying to whittle them down, but if you want to be in the half-a-dozen chosen for the real interview, you've got to treat it like a proper interview.