Telephone interviews are popular with many employers to help reduce the number of applicants to a more manageable shortlist and are therefore likely to happen early on in the recruitment process. Making it to this stage means that your application got the employer’s interest, and a telephone interview provides you with a great opportunity to build on that positive first impression.

They usually last between 20 and 30 minutes, and the employer should have pre-arranged a time with you to take their call. While this may feel more informal than a face-to-face interview, you should still prepare thoroughly, as employers will want to explore your suitability for and interest in the role, as well as your motivation to work for them.

Use our ‘preparing for interviews’ guide as a starting point – this provides tips for researching the job and organisation, advice on the kind of questions to expect and how to respond, as well as lots of sample questions to help you practise. Anticipate the questions that are likely to come up by reviewing the job description and person specification for the role carefully, and then work on your responses to potential questions. Use the Interview360 tool on our Careers Zone 24/7 to browse common interview questions (alongside advice on how to answer them) and create mock interviews to practise and improve your technique.

If your telephone interview is with a larger organisation, you can also use websites like Glassdoor to conduct some research into the experience of other candidates who interviewed for similar roles in the company, and their reviews often list examples of questions they were asked.

Our top tips for telephone interviews:

• Prepare an interesting and enthusiastic personal pitch to introduce yourself. This needs to be brief and persuasive to spark the recruiter’s interest.
• Know the content of your application. Have it in front of you during the interview as a reminder of your key experiences, achievements and skills, or to clarify any questions the interviewer might have about your application. You can also use any notes you have prepared for possible interview questions with key words that form the building blocks for your responses, but don’t read from a script. Use post-it notes or note-cards laid out on a desk or stuck to the wall so you don’t have to rustle through lots of pages to find what you’re looking for.
• Sell yourself. Ensure you sound energetic and positive in your responses. Smile to add enthusiasm to your voice. Be professional throughout, from answering the call formally to thanking them for their time at the end. You could stand up if it helps make you feel more energetic, but the main thing is you don’t slouch (or lounge on the sofa!) as this will be reflected in your voice. Dressing smartly can also help raise your confidence and put you in the right mindset.
• Consider your surroundings. Move into a quiet space with no interruptions, ideally at home. Let any family members or flatmates know not to disturb you.
• An hour or two before the interview, find ways to energise yourself – go for a run, listen to some uplifting music or, if you prefer, take some time out to quietly contemplate what you want to get across to the employer.
• For further advice on telephone interviews, check the Prospects and Targetjobs website.

Good luck with your interview!