Anybody who has experience in the workforce knows that a positive first impression with an employer is essential when trying to land a job in a very competitive market. With this in mind, it is crucial to remember that phone interviews have the potential to make or break your chance at scoring a desired job. Here are a few tips from U.S. News that can help you sound confident and qualified while engaging in a phone interview:

• Start off with a pleasant, welcoming voice. Recruiters don’t want your conversation to start off with an unfriendly greeting. It’s common for people to say “hello” with a hint of suspicion just out of habit. Simply put, if you are expecting a call from a potential employer, make sure you answer with something like, “Hi, this is (your name) speaking.”
• Keep it short and sweet. When an employer asks a question, try to keep the answers concise and to-the-point. It’s easy for long, rambling responses to get lost in translation on the phone. With this also keep in mind to not cut off an employer when they are speaking.
• Make sure you know what job you are getting interviewed for. Sounding uninformed about the company or the job position comes off as not caring or a lack of interest. Keep yourself organized with the jobs you have applied for and which ones you have heard back from.
• Don’t ask the interviewer to tell you about the company. By the time the phone interview takes place you should already know a decent amount about the company. By asking this question, it shows you have not done your own research—which you should have done. Try to ask more specific questions about the company if you are trying to express interest in learning more.
• Don’t ask about vacation time! This is a big one. The phone interview is not the time or place to ask about days off. Vacation time is important to know about, but this is something to ask about later in person, or when you are confident about securing the job.

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