You got an interview! Great! Now what? Sure, we have all been on interviews before, but online job interviews are a little different. I have had interviews during which I was required to teach a sample course or complete a syllabus for a class. The most common method of an interview for an online teaching job will be a phone interview. If you have never done a phone interview before, it may be quite stressful.
I personally believe that a phone interview is more difficult than a face-to-face interview, because they cannot see your body language and you cannot see theirs. When I completed my first phone interview, I dressed up in a suit and tie. I thought that I would be put on camera and wanted to be prepared! Of course, I was not put on camera and I could have done the interview in sweat pants if I wanted to. I want to share with you some tips on how to complete a phone interview so that you are prepared for your first one. You may be interviewing with either the human resource department or the dean of the department that you will be working with. More than likely, it will be with the dean. You want to ensure that you have provided them with all of the requested information prior to the interview. Make certain that you have all of your paperwork with you. Printing it all up is a great practice.
Check Your Surroundings – Have a quite place where you can talk. Make sure you can talk freely and that there is not too much noise in the background. Are you using a cell phone? Try not to, but if you have to, make sure your battery is fully charged (and you have the charging chord with you) and you are in a place that gets service. If you did not schedule it beforehand, feel free to ask the interviewer if you can call back at a better time. You will not sound disinterested, but rather, you will sound concerned for managing your life by organizing your commitments.
Dress for Success – Consider getting dressed up for your interview. Why would you do that if nobody will see you? While you do not need to be in a suit, I find it helpful to be dressed professionally. This helps me feel more comfortable and I take the situation more seriously. Think of it this way, girls act more like a princess when they’re in a prom dress than when they’re in running shorts, and the same applies with people in work clothes. Do not run the risk of seeming too casual or laid back on the phone. This could make it seem like you are unprofessional. Dress the part.
Stand up – No kidding. I know that I sound more confident when I stand up. I use my hands when I talk and this makes me sound much more confident. Give it a try!
Prepare for the Most Obvious Questions – A resume is to get someone to pay attention to you. You know that certain questions are coming, yet many people do not prepare for them. Be ready for the obvious questions and then you will not sound like you are unprepared. For example, if you know that you have large gaps in your employment, have a response prepared. It sounds much better than “uhhhhhh…well…you see.” Not good.
Be Yourself – This one is easy. Do not try to sell something that you cannot deliver. It is normal to be nervous, but try to be as relaxed as you can, and realize that these are people just like you. These are people that you may be working with. If there is a personality clash that you cannot get over now, it may not get any better.
Don’t Forget to Close – An interview is about selling yourself, and the best salespeople are closers. I have never claimed to be a salesperson, but I have learned to sell myself. Make sure you have all of your questions answered and you try to get information on what is going to happen next.
Finally, do not forget a key component of a successful interview – even for a phone interview – a thank you message or email.
These are just a few tips to help you be prepared for a phone interview.
