Planning and preparing before you begin to send out resumescould save you some embarrassing moments when you receive thatunexpected call.
You just never know when that phone is going to ring.
Let's saythe phone rings just as you are about to sit down for dinner,but this time it's not a pesky telemarketer -- it's a companyrecruiter calling.
The voice on the other end of the phone saysshe is calling about a resume you sent in six weeks ago.
'What-- six weeks ago? I sent out 40 resumes in the past six weeks?Who exactly are you and what was the job you are calling about?'You've been caught off-guard! The telephone 'screen call' can come at any time -- day or night.
Some interviewers find evenings the best time to catch people athome, where they will be able to talk more candidly.
That beingthe case, you should be on-call and prepared to receive atelephone interview at any time.
Even though you cannot control the timing of these calls, thereare some steps that you can take to not be caught off-guard.
1.
Get organized.
Set aside your materials as though you were going to aface-to-face interview.
Have a folder with job postings or adsyou have answered, along with company information.
If you haveseveral versions of your resume, attach the one relevant to theparticular job posting.
Keep this folder in a specific place soyou can get to it in less than a minute.
When the phone ringsat an unexpected moment, tell the caller to hold and then grabyour folder.
2.
Be prepared.
This is key to any interview, but for the telephone interview itis essential.
Practice with a tape recorder to hear the levelof enthusiasm in your voice.
The key to telephone interviews isprojecting an upbeat image through the sound of your voice andthe words you use.
3.
Know what they are looking for.
Look over the job description to see what the company is seekingin a candidate.
If you don't have a good description, look atother postings of similar positions to see what is being askedfor.
Compare what you have to offer against what they arelooking for.
Be ready to let the interviewer know what a goodmatch you are for the position.
4.
Alert the household.
Be sure everyone in your household -- children, roommates, etc.
,are aware that you will be receiving calls from recruiters andcompanies.
The phone should be answered in a polite, professionalmanner.
While you're at it, make sure your voice mail message isalso professional and upbeat.
Telephone interviews, typically conducted by a human resourcesstaff member or a hired recruiter, are used as screening toolsto save time and money.
By asking key questions, the interviewerdetermines whether or not it's worthwhile to pursue you furtheras a candidate.
The screenings may consist of a few quickquestions or as much as a one-hour grilling.
Some general questions you might expect in a telephone screeningare:

1. Why are you leaving your current job?
2. What kind of salary/job are you looking for?
3. Tell me three adjectives that describe you.
   
4. Tell me about a time when you had to solve a problem using creativity.
   
5. Do you have any questions for me?

If there is some particular skill that qualifies you for a job, for example technical skills or languages, there may be some qualifying questions about the 'tools of the trade.
' Getting through this screening is critical for advancing to the next step: the face-to-face interview.
This puts added pressure on you to present yourself in a positive, focused manner.
If you attempt to wing this call, you may reach a dead end in the process.
By organizing and preparing you will feel less stressed when these calls do come.