A number of times I have been asked by incoming college program participants on what exactly is the best way to handle the phone interview portion of your process for program acceptance. With that in mind I decided to create this six step little help guide that anyone can use for help on their phone interview.

1. Make sure everything is charged

Nobody wants a phone to die on them mid conversation and for my plan for your best interview experience you will need your laptop charged as well to help you out.

2. Have some practice questions with answers already written

You won't really know what exactly the interviewer is going to ask you but luckily the internet is a helpful place where you can find people who provide fake questions for you to have answers too (their links are at the bottom of this bit). Have some answers already written out to these fake questions so in case you are asked them, you already have an answer for them. I typed mine out on my laptop and had the doc open during the interview.

Helpful links with questions you may be asked during your interview:

alyssasdreamcometrue.blogspot.com

pardonourpixiedust.tumblr.com

3. Time

Make sure you are prepared for your scheduled time, also make sure to factor in any extra waiting time. Sometimes the interviewer may call ten minutes earlier or later than planned.

4. Make sure you are alone

Sure moral support is great but there will be to many things going on for you to keep focused on what you are saying and it might even make you more nervous having someone there watching you.

5. Don't be afraid to tell them the jobs you don't want to work, but also be polite about it.

I'm not 100% sure how exactly the job selection portion of the program works but there's a chance you're probably going to be asked what jobs you don't want to work in the problem. Honestly if you really really don't want a specific position tell them in the politest way possible that you don't want that position and would not like to be considered for it. Otherwise if you leave them thinking you're open to it there might be a chance you'll still get it.

6. Smile while talking on the phone.

It might seem weird because the interviewer can't see you. However even if it's a fake smile it almost immediately makes your voice go up to a positive octave, making you sound even better on the phone.