Telephone Interview?

MoodyMand45

Been offered telephone interview with the AA but i have no idea what it involves or if it is at my home or their offices, anyone had a telephone interview before?

TELLIT01

A 'telephone interview' generally means that the interview is conducted over the phone, with you at home. 

400ixl

Unlikely it will be at their office as it may as well be face to face if that were the case.

What information have they supplied? Have the given a time and said they will call you? Is it a video conference and they have sent you details on how to connect such as through Teams, Zoom, Webex etc?

MalMonroe

Hi, I think a telephone interview is the best kind of interview. Hopefully they will phone you at home - no fussing or fretting about what to wear, how to get there and get back, etc. (that could just be me, though . )

Have they given you a time? All you have to do is be there, with your notes in front of you of course, so you can tell them how brilliant you are and how they'd regret it if they didn't hire you. If the job means you'll have to use the phone a lot, be aware that they will probably be assessing your conduct throughout. 

Apart from that, well done on being offered an interview and I wish you all the very best. 

Grumpy_chap

MalMonroe said:

Hi, I think a telephone interview is the best kind of interview. Hopefully they will phone you at home - no fussing or fretting about what to wear, how to get there and get back, etc. 

If the telephone interview is actually via Teams / Zoom or other similar technology, then what to wear is every bit as important as a face-to-face interview. 

There can also be the need to consider what else is visible in the background from the online camera - for example, I always keep the door closed from my study as the camera can look straight down the hallway into the bathroom.

MoodyMand45

Thanks for all the advice, i have not yet booked however there are over 50 interview slots to pick from and they seem to have been struggling to get people to apply, i have a hunch that the 6 days on 3 days off routine is putting people off applying.

Marcon

MoodyMand45 said:

Thanks for all the advice, i have not yet booked however there are over 50 interview slots to pick from and they seem to have been struggling to get people to apply, i have a hunch that the 6 days on 3 days off routine is putting people off applying.

Excellent - that should mean you have less competition.

Savvy_Sue

Grumpy_chap said:

MalMonroe said:

Hi, I think a telephone interview is the best kind of interview. Hopefully they will phone you at home - no fussing or fretting about what to wear, how to get there and get back, etc. 

If the telephone interview is actually via Teams / Zoom or other similar technology, then what to wear is every bit as important as a face-to-face interview. 

There can also be the need to consider what else is visible in the background from the online camera - for example, I always keep the door closed from my study as the camera can look straight down the hallway into the bathroom.

this is very true, and don't rely on the fake backgrounds you can use. You often get a bit of 'flutter round the edges' which can be very disconcerting when you move your head. And you probably want a plain background rather than the beach or mountains ... 

My WFH setup has either some pretty dreadful curtains in the background, or a spare bed which badly needs sorting out. At the very least I'd cover the bed with a duvet cover ... 

400ixl

Most people who use video conferencing are used to either blurred or fake backgrounds and would find that far less distracting than other real images such as your bedroom decor. Obviously something appropriate and not something like a beach background.

Telephone only interviews I am not a fan of for either side as you do not get to see the person and their reactions. Video conferencing interviews are much better.

TELLIT01

If the OP has been told it's a telephone interview I would expect it to be voice only.  If anything else is expected the company should be making that clear.  I've only use my phone a couple of times for video calls and it has been terrible.  Long delays in speech resulting either in talking over each other or exceptionally long silences.

Doshwaster

400ixl said:

Most people who use video conferencing are used to either blurred or fake backgrounds and would find that far less distracting than other real images such as your bedroom decor. Obviously something appropriate and not something like a beach background.

Telephone only interviews I am not a fan of for either side as you do not get to see the person and their reactions. Video conferencing interviews are much better.

The good thing with telephone interviews is that you can have papers laid out front of you as a such as a copy of the job description, reminders of things to say and be able to write down any notes - plus you don't have to worry about making yourself or the room look respectable.