Telephone Interview Preparation

I was interviewing for an information specialist for a position in Washington DC. This was the initial screening interview. Of course, at the time I was interviewing for many positions and several of them were from out of state.

I didn't do any research about phone interviews, although now I know that you shouldn't interview in your pajamas or have the TV on. You should have notes, be prepared, have the job description and preferably a list of how your experience aligns to the position.

Well, the bottom line is that I did know about doing the job and I guess the bottom line is, if you know the job well, some other crucial elements might not count as much as you think. I was invited to Washington DC for a follow up call for the interview. The problem: I couldn't remember the interviewer's name!!

I had used a career publication to get the listing. The problem was, I couldn't remember the listing. With some detective work, I called the agency anonymously and learned my interviewer's name!

Lesson Learned: knowing your skills and how they match is most important, but it's very helpful, and far less stressful to write down all of the pertinent information. Don't rely on your memory when you're job searching. Keep detailed and well organized notes!