With more employers doing phone and video conferencing interviews, it is important to learn the best phone interview tips. While the general idea is the same, there are some important differences between interviewing in person and interviewing on the phone. For the best chance of success, individuals need to learn what to expect and how to plan ahead.

Set the Environment

In a typical interview, the location is generally at the employer’s place of business. However, when you are doing a phone interview, you have to find the perfect spot. You need to make sure that you are in an area with excellent phone reception. While a cafe may fit this requirement, it is too loud for you to focus. You should pick somewhere calm and quiet.

Before the interview, do your research. Learn about the company and your interviewer. You need to have a general sense of what the company does and some successes you can highlight. This helps you show that you care about the job and allows you to showcase aspects of your work history that fit in with the company’s culture.

Use Your Body Language

One of the phone interview tips that people forget is body language. For example, if you smile, your facial expressions are reflected in your tone of voice. Even though the interviewer cannot see you, they can hear if you are smiling and positive. Being confident and assertive helps you connect with the interviewer. Likewise, bad habits like chewing gum, sighing or tapping your pen can be distracting during the interview. During a phone interview, you have to be even more aware of any potential noises or distractions.

Prepare to Explain Job Transitions and Your Resume

Your interviewer already has your resume, so your preparation starts from the job history and education experiences you included. Be prepared to explain any job transitions. This part of the interview is mostly just screening for red flags, so it is easy to navigate as long as you are prepared.

An Interview Is About More Than Answers

While researching phone interview tips, you will come up with prospective interview questions and how to answer them. You need to go beyond just answers though. In a typical interview, your body language helps to build a rapport. In phone interviews, you have to show your personality, confidence and abilities through your answers. Do not rush your answers, use an even tone of voice and let your personality shine.

Bring Your Materials

Some phone interview tips are similar to standard interviews. At an in-person meeting, you would normally have extra copies of your cover letter, portfolio, the job description and your resume. You should have all of these materials on hand for your phone interview. This helps you to appear more organized when a question is asked, and it ensures that you know what the interviewer is talking about. You should also keep a pen and paper with you to take notes as needed during the interview.

Ultimately, a phone interview requires just as much planning and preparation as an in-person meeting, so make sure that you are ready when the big moment arrives. You will have to compensate for the fact that the interviewer cannot see your body language so show enthusiasm in your tone, set the right environment and take the opportunity to showcase your worth.