The Phone Interview

[burbuja0512]

Just thinking out loud....Burbuja has really changed the way I approach interviews. I no longer go in with just a plan to tell a good story, I approach every interview with quantifyable data and specific examples that I feel demonstrate leadership and initiative. For example I recently interviewed for a job halfway across the country for a position well above my current one. I put together a packet that featured my resume, a 4 page writing sample (a policy I wrote concerning weapons in the hospital), pictures of a command cart concept I brought to life, and what I called a "highlights" page that detailed career successes and some current goals and objectives. I created something similar for the promotion panel back in December/January (I got that promotion).

I realize of course that in a phone interview environment you might not be able to easily present such a packet, but I still think it's imperative to build one. Just having it in front of yourself would aid in formulating your thoughts and cogent responses. If you could request one of the interviewers to allow you to fax or email that packet in so they could see your work that would prove beneficial. Consider building a jam up linked in presecence that you could simply direct someone to while your interviewing...yopu might say something like "sure I've done some great work building teams, if you refer to my linked in profile you can see the document that verbalizes the problems my current employer was having and how I empowered my team to meet those challenges", something like that. Organize, project, convince, sell, interviewing is nothing more than a sales call where the product is you. If your technically savvy enough you might even create your own web presence like Steve Forrester from the other forum. He created a custom website that detailed his abilities and career success, a cool idea and a place you could point those interviewers in order to help sell yourself. My Resume » HireSteve.com

I've managed to drive the last few interviews I've managed to land, I tend to be offered the jobs once I get to that stage (getting the interview is my biggest challenge).

You are landing the chance to talk, be sure your doing everything you can to project the right image.

Awww Rebel you are so sweet. Thank you!!

I'm glad you brought up the "interview packet" - I really believe that having a story to tell and a leave-behind that's far beyond your resume is very powerful if you do it correctly. It also helps you get beyond the nerves and lead the interview in your direction. When I have brought a presentation to an interview along with full color glossy printout, the interviewer will generally let me lead the way rather than the other way around.