Hey Jobseekers.... Phone interviews like em or hate em?

[Statistical]

I got one this afternoon with a prospective employer and it is freaking me out.

Plus I hate them because almost always they still want a "face to face" interview. I also am a visual person so I dislike even conference calls and there is no stress with those.
The statistical side of my brain also tells me they are doing a phone interview because they have lots of applicants. :(

Also if anyone has a any good tips for phone interviews I am all ears.

[MNDemNY]

1. I love them, as a employer, it is a good time-management tool.

I can weed through a lot of crap on the phone pretty quickly.

[Bluenorthwest]

3. The question was for job seekers.

Just saying.
Speaking to humans is 'weeding through crap'. Interesting lexicon you select.

[MNDemNY]

5. You should see some of the applications I have seen. Crap, indeed.

[JANdad]

10. That "Crap" is a fellow human being

and quite possibly a mother / father trying to do right by their kids...I would hate to have you as a boss if this is the way you classify applicants...

[MNDemNY]

11. If you saw some of the apps, you would differ in your thought.

[JANdad]

15. Bullshit!

I have hired HUNDREDS of people in my life and have never thought of them as "CRAP"..you are a sociopath!

[MNDemNY]

16. What of the "crap" you did not hire???

[JANdad]

18. Those that were not hired

Were not for a variety of reasons; Poor communication skills, poor work history or any one of many things...but NEVER because they were "CRAP"...

[FSogol]

2. Don't worry, just be confident and you'll do fine.

Here's two tips:

1. Pretend that you are the person interviewing them to see if you want that job. That will give you the confidence you need. That's the attitude I always take to interviews and it works.

2. Take the attitude that you are the best fit for their job and that not hiring you would be foolish.

PS. Sorry for not answering your poll. I've never had a phone interview but have taken and given 100s of interviews. Good luck and try not to be anxious. You'll do great.

[barbtries]

4. good luck on the job hunt!

i have no opinion, i think i was interviewed once by telephone but it was a casual get-to-know-you type thing and he still wanted to meet me. didn't get the job, i think my demand of at least $12/hour was too much for him.

[sharp_stick]

6. I hate them

but I'm getting better at them. Treat them like the first in person interview, it used to be that the phone interview was more or less a meet and greet, not anymore. The phone interview is the real deal, make sure you arrive and plan as though you would for a face to face.

Best of luck.

[rucky]

7. Congrats!

I wish I had more interviews - don't care how they come.

Sounds silly, but my trick is to wear something businesslike - even though it's over the phone.

[Statistical]

9. I was thinking about doing that just to get my mind right.

[undeterred]

8. If you get screened out through a phone interview

you usually have no idea why. Maybe they're trying to guess race or age by hearing your voice.

In a face to face interview there are many more cues and you can gauge the reaction of the interviewer better. You may not know exactly why you aren't being hired, but you at least have a sense of how the interview went. On the phone, there's not much to go by.

Its better than nothing, but not much better.

[TayTay]

12. I think it's a good preliminary interview tool

My husband was out of work for a long time and he had a lot of interviews, most of which started with a phone interview with either HR or the hiring manager. Most of those worked out very well. They served to enumerate what the job was about, if my husband wanted that position and was qualified and gave a brief description of the job itself. Some of those phone interviews saved my husband time, as well as the potential employer. My husband had no interest in going to an interview for a job that didn't pay enough, didn't fit his skill set or was inaccessible travel-wise. The phone interview really helped clarify what the job was about and if it might be a fit.

A good phone interview and set the stage for a successful in-person interview. On balance, I think they are a good thing.

[Freddie Stubbs]

13. Here is a tip: Make sure you are on a land line -- not a cell phone

The last thing that you want is poor reception of perhaps a dropped call.

[aikoaiko]

14. Are people using real-time web video for interviews yet?

We do video conferencing with job candidates for big positions to narrow down to a short list, but the technology is bulky and expensive.

Anyone doing with PCs yet?

[greenbriar]

17. hubby has had his job 9 years and the initial interview was phone

but we lived in a different state