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8 things to never do during a phone interview

Even the smallest of mistakes could make you miss out on that job offer.

However, since there's probably many other individuals getting screened over the phone, even the smallest of mistakes could make you miss out on that job offer.

No matter how confident you may feel in the days or hours leading up to your phone screening, make sure to keep the following rules in mind:

Do not take the call on speaker mode

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While having the interview on speaker mode might appear to help you take notes, your interviewer could experience difficulties hearing you.

Don't risk the chance of being misunderstood, or losing a key answer to static.

Never take the interview in a noisy place

You’d be surprised what interviewers say they can hear in the background of their phone interviews —everything from barking dogs to screaming children. Do not attempt to carry out the interview in an area with excessive background noise.

The more effort you put into being in a quiet place, the more focused you’ll be.

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Do not talk about your personal life

Avoid bringing up matters regarding your personal life unless you’re directly asked a question about what you like to do in your off hours.

Do not interrupt the interviewer

Interrupting the interviewer is awkward and rude when you’re speaking on the phone.

In order to avoid accidentally interrupting him or her, try to avoid speaking unless you are asked a question or are invited to ask questions of your own.

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Avoid talking too much

Irrelevant talk might put off your interviewer while at the same time chop away time for other, more important questions and answers.

Do not water down your answers but rather keep them short and strong.

Never put your interviewer on hold

Avoid putting your interview on hold at all costs unless you are expecting extremely urgent news which should be prefaced to the recruiter at the start of the call.

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Skip the money/benefits conversation

The initial phone interview is not the best time bring up salary/benefits expectations.

In rare cases, the interviewer may decide to raise the subject during the phone interview, but most will save salary negotiations for the first or second in-person interview.

Do not multi task

Resist the urge to be doing other activities during the interview e.g making lunch in the microwave, going for walks or washing dishes.

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The interviewer might end up concluding that you are not interested in the position you’re interviewing for.

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Email: news@pulselive.co.ke

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