Preparing for a Phone Interview
As a freelance writer you may not expect to talk on the phone a lot. And while this is true, there are going to be times when you have no choice. There are some situations in which I would rather talk on the phone than correspond via email. This is a great way to save time, because several “back and forth emails” can often times be discussed and taken care of over the phone within a matter of seconds.
In many cases, freelance writers are asked to complete a phone interview before a client will work with them. This may be formal or informal; it all depends on the client and what they are hoping to accomplish. Either way, you need to make sure that you are prepared for what lies ahead.
Believe it or not, many freelance writers are afraid of the phone interview process. They feel intimidated, scared, and anxious. While this is natural to a certain extent, you need to realize that there is nothing to be afraid of. When it comes down to it, you are being interviewed because the person on the other end of the phone sees something good in you; they see that you have something to offer.
How long does a phone interview last? Again, this can and will change depending on the situation. I have had phone interviews last five minutes, and others that have pushed an hour. While preparing for an interview, make sure that you leave yourself plenty of time. After all, you do not want to find yourself having to rush. This will put more pressure on you, while also making you look bad.
Before your interview starts, make sure that you have all the information you will need directly in front of you. In most cases, you will be told what you will be talking about which should lead you to know what you need. In most cases, I suggest that you collect information on the client, your resume, and any samples that they may want to discuss. Of course, you will also want to be sitting in front of your computer so that you can easily access websites or files during your conversation. It is not uncommon to be asked to check out a particular website during the interview process. In fact, this happens to me more times than not.
A phone interview is not as bad as you may think. If you are prepared, you will find that these can actually be a lot of fun!
July 9th, 2008 at 9:35 am
Timely post! I just had my first phone interview the other day. I was nervous, but it went very well. It was a relaxed conversation during which we discussed the details of the project, etc. It went almost 40 minutes. I generally prefer email, but this wasn’t as painful as I had expected.
July 9th, 2008 at 11:32 am
I’ve only done one phone interview. I thought it was going to last 10 minutes maybe, so an hour and a half later we’re finally finishing up, but I closed the deal in that one (long) phone call.
I was scared at first, but just like you said there was no reason for it. Just be prepared and have a computer / related info in front of you. Lots of times they need you just as much as you need them.
July 9th, 2008 at 8:54 pm
I haven’t had a phone interview yet and my only concern is the background noise. I have a 2 year old and a 5 month old, and they can get pretty loud. If I am asked to ever do a phone interview should I warn the client about this?