The Telephone Interview

Congratulations! The company that you sent your resume to has contacted you to schedule a phone interview. While the phone interview is generally a formality, if it is not handled correctly, it can prevent you from getting the chance to present your skills in person.

The phone interview is used to pre-screen candidates for three things:

• Personality: can you carry a conversation and contribute useful feedback in describing your capabilities? Or, do you answer questions with yep/nope? Does your voice change pitch when talking about different items, or do you talk in a monotone? Can you express opinions without sounding arrogant? Each of these "traits" gives the interviewer a brief glimpse at your personality.
  
  
• Interest: Do you ask questions about the job, location, company, and opportunities? Have you done any homework on the company's publications, products, or lead scientists?
  
  
• Professionalism: During the conversation, do you project a positive attitude or do you make disparaging comments? Do you use profanity? Do you frequently interrupt the other person?
  
  

The phone interview will usually last an hour or less. It is an opportunity for the hiring supervisor to ask questions about the topics you covered in your resume. Most of the questions will not be difficult - expand on your recent research, talk about graduate school, describe techniques used in your research, describe your hobbies. There are also several areas that cannot be covered under EEOC guidelines. These include questions about marital status, race, sex, religion, number and ages of children, criminal record, financial information, and other related topics. In one of the searches that we have been involved in, a supervisor asked a potential candidate if she had any children. He then compounded his error by stating that it was obvious that she would not be able to travel and arrange for daycare! This type of inquiry is not only unprofessional, it is illegal.

At the end of the conversation, you will be asked if you have any questions. If you are unsure about the scope of the position, the requirements for the job, or the expectations of the supervisor, now is the time to have these types of questions answered. This is not the time to ask about benefits, vacation, flextime, etc. Finally, be sure to thank the person for contacting you and ask when you might be requested to visit their site for a formal interview.