NotJobs: 6 Reasons You Failed the Phone Interview

Alison Green blogs at Ask a Manager, and writes as an outside voice for US News & World Report. Her recent article about phone interviews details six ways how not to get a job:

6 Reasons You Failed the Phone Interview

Alison Green

Here are some ways to quickly fail the phone interview:

1. Not displaying a grasp of what the job is all about.
2. Not asking any questions.
3. Not paying attention to tone of voice.
4. Having an overly casual manner.
5. Giving longwinded answers.
6. Missing the call.

Ms. Green has some good advice, so go see the full article. Let me add one of my own:

7. Using a Cheesy Cell Phone. Nothing enhances your interview image like a partial connection that hisses, pops and drops every third syllable. My advice is to double-check your cover, and plan to use a land-line where ever possible. Oh – and just because you can do a phone interview while walking down a busy urban street doesn’t mean you should. The honking and traffic noises will interfere with your interview.

[Yes, this has actually happened. A sales candidate did this during an interview a few years back. He tried to do have the interview standing next to a bus, and the exhaust noise drowned out his voice. He didn't get the job.]