Getting Past the Phone Interview

I recently read an article in the New York Times, I Assertd Myself and Got the Job, by Marat Gaziev, a twenty-something search engine optimization analyst living in California and similar to many job seakers out there; struggling to find a position. What sets Gaziev’s story apart from others is that he has a proactive personality and didn’t sit on the sidelines when his job hunt went south. Gaziev took his misteps and recalculated his game plan.

As many of you in the reliability engineering and industrial maintenance fields know, finding the skilled talent (i.e. YOU!) has been increasingly challenging for companies lookig to hire. So, make it easier on those interviewing you by following a few simple suggestions taken away from this article.

While the article is a great read, here’s the nuts and bolts of his advice, and argument, that being confident during the interview process should be at the top of your list.

1.) Be confident, but not cocky.

After landing five phone inerviews with niche e-commerce companies and not recieving a follow-up interview afterwards, Gaziev began to notice a trend.

“I had an outdated way of thinking about the interview process…I was doing the base minimum instead of trying to sell myself,” Gaziev stated.

This is a common mistake — not looking at the interview as a window of opportunity to sell yourself to your prospective employer. It’s important to have the confidence to sell yourself. Although you may know your capibilities and skills, remember, the person sitting behind the desk interviewing you may not.

2.) Do some Research.

Any human resources professional will tell you that most interviews take a nose-dive when a question is posed to the interviewer about the company and it’s clear that no research has been done.  Gaziev states that you should have enough knowledge about the company you are interviewing for to make suggestions.

“You have to find small things that you might improve on a scalable level…but you need to appear confident. You can’t afford to be tentative when there’s so much competition for jobs,” he said.

So, do your research. If you are interviewing for a position as a infrared thermographer or vibration alaysis for example, make small suggestions about the company’s predictive maintenance program – it shows that you have an invested interest and that you’ve done your homework.

3.) Tailor your resume.

Although Gaziev didn’t give this too much air time, I think it’s a point that is hugely overlooked. Where at one time in history, tailoring a resume may have been faux pas, now it’s the trend.

“You have to adapt to the industry, the company, and the level of the interviewer,” Gaziev writes.

If you’re like any other job hunter, you most likely have too much to fit on one resume. So, tailor your skills and knowledge to the position you are applying for, adding more emphasis to the job-specific credentials.

4.) Widen Your Search.

Another great way to increase your likeliness of landing a job is to create an account with NextUp Careers. OK, I admit, that piece wasn’t in the article, but it should have been! When you create an account you will have the ability to create custom searches, save targeted jobs and present prospective employers with the opportunity to view your resume, providing you with more job opportunities. Our confidential notification system allows you to pursue only the opportunities of interest to you. Give it a try!