Phone Interview Tips: Top Interview Questions and Answers

A telephone interview (sometimes called a phone screening or phone screen interview) is a job interview conducted over the phone, usually without video and relying solely on audio. Typically, phone interviews occur in the hiring process. Hiring managers use this type of interview as a preliminary screening before narrowing their options and selecting candidates for more personal follow-up interviews in the next round.

Phone interviews can be slightly more challenging for job seekers than face-to-face interviews since they can offer less opportunity to make a personal connection.

Here are some ways to prepare for your next phone interview:

• Set up a comfortable space. Choose a comfortable environment free of distractions or background noise, and try to be there a few minutes ahead of the scheduled time so that you can relax and get comfortable before the call. If you’re nervous, try picking a specific point about eye level that you can look at instead of hunching over your phone screen to help you feel more confident and relaxed. You don’t want to pick up the phone in a rush, or worse, miss the call and have to phone your interviewer back.
• Do your research. Before your phone call, check out the company’s website to find out more about its goals, mission statement, and culture. These elements will likely come up in the interview, and doing research beforehand will demonstrate your preparation for and interest in the position.
• Dress for success. Even though your interviewer won’t see you during a phone interview, many hiring managers still recommend adhering to an interview-appropriate dress code for the interview—for instance, foregoing sweatpants in favor of a nice pair of jeans or slacks. When you dress professionally, it can help you feel more prepared, collected, and professional—and interviewers will pick up those traits, even over the phone.
• Smile. Even though you won’t be visible to your potential employer over the phone, it’s still possible to hear a smile in a person’s voice. Treat the question-and-answer session as if you’re in-person, and try to smile as if you’re sitting across from an interviewer—it will help bridge the impersonal gap that a phone call can create.
• Brainstorm possible questions and answers. One of the best ways to prepare for an interview or job opportunity, whether a video call or a phone interview, is to brainstorm potential screening questions that the interviewer may ask you and your best example answers. Search online for a list of questions and read up on the traits that managers in your field covet in professionals. Before the interview, ask a friend or family member to conduct a mock conversation so that you can practice your interview answers aloud.
• Bring a cheat sheet. During in-person interviews, it’s a good idea to maintain conversational eye contact with the recruiter. However, phone calls aren’t visual, so you’re free to look wherever you want, making it easy to reference or double-check notes during the interview to ensure you do not forget any critical talking points. Consider writing up a bulleted cheat sheet that includes details about the company, examples of your success, and questions you want to ask.
• Come up with a few questions to ask. At the end of most interviews—whether in-person or by phone—interviewers will ask if you have any follow-up questions about the position or company. Ask yourself if there’s anything about the position that is not covered in the job description details and craft a thoughtful question that shows you did your research. This tactic will show your interviewer that you are serious about the job. If you’re drawing a blank, consider asking about their company goals or their feedback process.
• Draft a thank-you email. A brief follow-up email can show that you are engaged and make you more memorable to a potential employer. The follow-up email should be brief, just a sentence or two thanking them for their time and consideration.

If you’re scheduled for a phone interview, research the company and prepare answers to common questions that hiring managers may ask, such as:

1. 1. “Tell me about your current job.” Phone interviews are often an early screening step in the hiring process, so the recruiter may interview several candidates by phone and be unable to prepare deeply for every conversation. They’ll likely have a copy of your resume and cover letter sitting in front of them, which means many of their questions may stem from things you wrote in those documents. Be prepared to talk about particular positions, bullet points, or skills listed on your resume, including what you gained from each experience. Hiring managers may also ask you to explain why you left (or are considering leaving) your most recent or current role. When answering this question, avoid complaining—instead, focus on what you want to get out of the new role that you weren’t getting from your last position.
2. 2. “Tell me about yourself and your professional journey.” As an earlier stage in the interview process, phone interviews will often focus on broad, getting-to-know-you questions to assess your qualifications and whether you fit their company culture. Be prepared to give a brief overview—no longer than about 90 seconds—of your professional history and a few fun facts about your hobbies or life outside of work. Try to give the interviewer a sense of your approach to work (and life), career goals, management style, skillset, and passions.
3. 3. “How is our company’s mission, work environment, or culture different from your previous experience?" Many interviewers want to make sure you did your homework because it demonstrates that you value preparation, a key quality of a good professional. Be ready to discuss your knowledge of their company during the interview—if this question doesn’t come up, you should ask the interviewer a couple of specific questions about the company to showcase your consideration.
4. 4. “Tell me about the most challenging time you’ve had at another job. What steps did you take to overcome it? How can you apply those tactics to difficult future situations?” Good workers are good problem-solvers, so interviewers will want to know about your problem-solving skills. Describe a time during your work experience that you came up against a demanding customer, coworker, or client and how you resolved the issue. You could also discuss an instance when you could not resolve an issue and your takeaway from the experience. Opening up about finding value in a challenging situation and applying the lessons learned to future situations will signal to the interviewer that you are thoughtful, proactive, and mature.
5. 5. “In professional settings, what’s your greatest strength? And what’s your greatest weakness?” Job interviews are all about selling your talents to the interviewer—so when they ask about your greatest strength, respond with a few examples. Be specific and confident in your response, not arrogant. Conversely, potential employers want to know if you have the self-awareness to identify your weaknesses and improve upon them. There’s no “right answer” to this question but avoid the typical “I work too hard” response, which can be a red flag to employers that you’re not being honest. Instead, a good answer is an honest evaluation of an aspect of the job that you need to improve upon and list a few ways that you are working to overcome the issue.
6. 6. “Where do you see yourself in five years?” A typical interview question in phone calls and in-person interviews alike, this question is a way for an interviewer to get a sense of your professional goals—in other words, are you looking for long-term employment or a short-term position? Many employers are looking for candidates that demonstrate loyalty to their employer and will reduce turnover rates. In most cases, it’s a good idea to emphasize your interests within the company, including what upward mobility options the position has.

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