How to phone interview like a BSD
(King Kong, 1,863
Points)
on 9/4/12 at 7:25pm
Looks like I took part in roughly 80 phone interviews during b-school, plus probably more that didn’t make it to my calendar. Lot of practice. A little over 40 hours straight of the old smile-and-dial. Since we’re headed into recruiting season now, thought I’d share what I learned.
Standard setup for phone interviews:
- Be at home. Be alone. Be dressed, but shoes off.
- Set up beforehand: beverage, Kleenex. Laptop open with something simple-minded and funny on it.
- Here’s something weird and possibly douchy: I set up a small mirror beside the laptop because I sound better and smoother when I’m watching my mouth move. Helps me remember to slow down and smile. If you want to try this, test-drive it before you do it on a live call to make sure it doesn’t distract you.
- Cut class if you need to in order to get home and get prepped. School is cool but never forget that you’re here to get a job. Do not push back too much on scheduling with the interviewer based on classes, regardless of what your school tells you about not cutting class to interview. Until you’ve signed an offer, going to class is a luxury, not a necessity.
- Bonus points: use a good headset to keep your hands free and your neck/shoulders comfortable. Wired headsets are interference-free, while wireless lets you pace if you need to. The choice is yours. Either way, no speakerphone. Ever. Speakerphone is a privilege reserved for interviewers, not interviewees.
- Oh, and obviously: if you’re on a cell, make sure ahead of time that the reception is going to be good.
Beforehand:
- I check weather and local news in their location (you’ll see later why I do this).
- I apply Blistex to keep my lips moist (lip-licking comes across as nervous over the phone).
- I spend ten minutes watching something funny or reading something light like Failblog. (I also leave Failblog up throughout the call in case of emergencies.)
- I don’t have a calculator or Excel up and running. Fuck that. This is a phone interview, not final rounds, and it needs to stay high-level and chill in order to be successful. If we’re doing some kind of case-style shit and we need to work with numbers, we’re going to work with nice round numbers that I pick, and if they want someone who can multiply 19 by 31 within 4.5 seconds, they’ll hire an analyst, not me.
During:
- Sit up straight and breathe using your diaphragm. Radiate warmth, competence, and goodwill.
- Smile when you talk. Smile before every answer.
- Smile when you sip your drink.
- If you need to stand up and pace, do it... and smile.
- Mirror their pace and tone if it’s comfortable for you and they’re not nuts.
- If your natural accent is similar to theirs, subtly mirror it. If not, keep it as accentless as possible. (Military kids, biculturals, and those who’ve traveled a lot will know what I mean.)
Small talk:
You do need small talk. This should be very laid-back, almost lazy. The person who starts the small talk on a call is sending a subtle signal as to who is going to own and run the call, so you may want to give them the chance to start it first. If not, that’s why you already checked their weather and local news.
- If they’re likely to know anything about your town or area: “Pretty standard [your city] weather around here. How is it in your neck of the woods?”
- If they’re alumni of your school, they’ll probably ask about classes. “Yep, classes are just kicking off. Do you get back here much?” Subtext here is: You and I may meet in person someday, so give me a chance and don’t blow me off.
- If you follow any sports or teams they’re likely to follow: “Did you catch such-and-such game?” Or, “Were you watching that game last week? Glad we won. Yeah, I think it’s pretty clear we’re not firing on all cylinders yet. I hope we pull it together before [X].”
Stressful interviews:
If it’s fit, if it’s stress, if it’s worth going the extra mile, I do two things differently.
- First, I open a beer. I don’t know about you guys, and maybe this is just the Pavlovian effect of hundreds of social events where beer is provided to ease networking, but holding an open bottle of beer sends signals deep into my reptilian M7-trained brain that it’s time to relax and enjoy a conversation. So I hold an open bottle of beer regardless of what time of day it is. I have a few sips. If it’s towards the end of the day I’ll actually drink it slowly on the call. If I have a ton of work to do and can’t afford to be tipsy, I throw it away after the call is over. It’s not a beer, see: it’s a $1.50 behavioral guide. Cheap at twice the price.
- Second thing I do: I switch to the sofa, lean back, feet up. You sacrifice some vibrance and depth from lack of diaphragm support (try it and you’ll see what I mean), but you gain a chiller vibe.
With the help of these two things, my mind is saying ,”Great -- the workday’s done, let’s enjoy the afternoon, have some fun, talk with a friend.”
Comments
If you're like most
If you're like most undergrads, a phone interview at home is a recipe for disaster, particularly if you live in a fraternity or even in a house with 4 other roommates.
A study room in a library is the way to go.
Also, what is this bullshit about being dressed? I had an 80% success rate for phone interviews in which I wasn't wearing pants. Added bonus: If you're not wearing pants, have an open laptop and a box of kleenex on the table, NO ONE is going to walk in or even knock on the door.
how many phone interviews
how many phone interviews would you say you did before you really started getting comfortable with them?
FreezePops: If you're like
If you're like most undergrads, a phone interview at home is a recipe for disaster, particularly if you live in a fraternity or even in a house with 4 other roommates.
A study room in a library is the way to go.
Also, what is this bullshit about being dressed. I had an 80% success rate for phone interviews in which I wasn't wearing pants. Added bonus: If you're not wearing pants, have an open laptop and a box of kleenex on the table, NO ONE is going to walk in or even knock on the door.
To each his own, I find myself more confortable during interviews to have my phone in my left hand and my ball-sack in my right.
Always get an extra level of sweetness in my voice which makes me get through into the next rounds.
The HBS guys have MAD SWAGGER. They frequently wear their class jackets to boston bars, strutting and acting like they own the joint. They just ooze success, confidence, swagger, basically attributes of alpha males.
FreezePops: If you're like
If you're like most undergrads, a phone interview at home is a recipe for disaster, particularly if you live in a fraternity or even in a house with 4 other roommates.
A study room in a library is the way to go.
Also, what is this bullshit about being dressed. I had an 80% success rate for phone interviews in which I wasn't wearing pants. Added bonus: If you're not wearing pants, have an open laptop and a box of kleenex on the table, NO ONE is going to walk in or even knock on the door.
Your library let you hang out in the study room with no pants? Awesome. And hell, if 80% is good enough for you, who's to say different?
But like I said, I've done a whole lot of these things. I've done them with and without pants, and have observed empirically that I do a better job of sounding warm and confident with my pants on.
Just like they can't hear your smile over the phone... but it turns out they actually can.
Just like it doesn't really matter if you take your GMAT in a wife beater and torn jeans or khakis and a button-down... but it actually does.
These things matter. That's one of my points here.
See my other WSO blog posts
I always get in my car and
I always get in my car and drive around for phone interviews. It works wonders, doesn't let me fidget or spend time over thinking things and getting nervous.
trailmix8: how many phone
how many phone interviews would you say you did before you really started getting comfortable with them?
Tough to say. I probably did another 50-60 in all the years before b-school as well, across all years and roles. Sounds like a lot, but one shop will sometimes put you through 4-5 before bringing you in, and there was one internship that had me do nine calls with nine different people AFTER the in-person "final round" but before they gave me the offer. The internship was shit, too, and it was a "top bank" (coughGoldmanahem, excuse me).
I never got comfortable with the format and pacing of a phone interview until b-school. I kept doing that moronic thing where it's silent and you start talking at the same time the interviewer starts talking, and you're both like, "Go ahead. No, you. Sorry. I've got bad reception, by the way." Awkward turtle says "Awkward!"
Turns out that doing like 1-2 a week wasn't enough to really get me comfortable. It wasn't until I was facing 3-4 a day for two weeks straight in b-school, sink or swim, that something finally clicked and I felt like I was in my element.
See my other WSO blog posts
newfirstyear: I always get in
I always get in my car and drive around for phone interviews. It works wonders, doesn't let me fidget or spend time over thinking things and getting nervous.
Nice idea. Wouldn't work for me, but I can see how it would work for many people.
See my other WSO blog posts
SonnyZH: To each his own, I
To each his own, I find myself more confortable during interviews to have my phone in my left hand and my ball-sack in my right.
Always get an extra level of sweetness in my voice which makes me get through into the next rounds.
Excellent point. I fully admit that I have cupped the cat a little (nothing weird though) while on a phone interview. Gives you something to do with your free hand, right?
See my other WSO blog posts
bankerella: Your library let
Your library let you hang out in the study room with no pants?
Was never kicked out and never heard any complaints, so in a sense yes?
Keep in mind these rooms were at the back of the library and on the fifth floor. The amount of non asian/lost freshman traffic was next to 0.
I've done them with and without pants, and have observed empirically that I do a better job of sounding warm and confident with my pants on.
As long as you've done the proper legwork.
bankerella: SonnyZH: To
To each his own, I find myself more confortable during interviews to have my phone in my left hand and my ball-sack in my right.
Always get an extra level of sweetness in my voice which makes me get through into the next rounds.
Excellent point. I fully admit that I have cupped the cat a little (nothing weird though) while on a phone interview. Gives you something to do with your free hand, right?
Is it cool if I cup your kitty? Meow!
.
.
bankerella: trailmix8: how
how many phone interviews would you say you did before you really started getting comfortable with them?
Tough to say. I probably did another 50-60 in all the years before b-school as well, across all years and roles. Sounds like a lot, but one shop will sometimes put you through 4-5 before bringing you in, and there was one internship that had me do nine calls with nine different people AFTER the in-person "final round" but before they gave me the offer. The internship was shit, too, and it was a "top bank" (coughGoldmanahem, excuse me).
I never got comfortable with the format and pacing of a phone interview until b-school. I kept doing that moronic thing where it's silent and you start talking at the same time the interviewer starts talking, and you're both like, "Go ahead. No, you. Sorry. I've got bad reception, by the way." Awkward turtle says "Awkward!"
Turns out that doing like 1-2 a week wasn't enough to really get me comfortable. It wasn't until I was facing 3-4 a day for two weeks straight in b-school, sink or swim, that something finally clicked and I felt like I was in my element.
ugh, I need to get good at these, and fast.
cupped the cat lol
cupped the cat
lol
trailmix8: bankerella: tr
how many phone interviews would you say you did before you really started getting comfortable with them?
Tough to say. I probably did another 50-60 in all the years before b-school as well, across all years and roles. Sounds like a lot, but one shop will sometimes put you through 4-5 before bringing you in, and there was one internship that had me do nine calls with nine different people AFTER the in-person "final round" but before they gave me the offer. The internship was shit, too, and it was a "top bank" (coughGoldmanahem, excuse me).
I never got comfortable with the format and pacing of a phone interview until b-school. I kept doing that moronic thing where it's silent and you start talking at the same time the interviewer starts talking, and you're both like, "Go ahead. No, you. Sorry. I've got bad reception, by the way." Awkward turtle says "Awkward!"
Turns out that doing like 1-2 a week wasn't enough to really get me comfortable. It wasn't until I was facing 3-4 a day for two weeks straight in b-school, sink or swim, that something finally clicked and I felt like I was in my element.
ugh, I need to get good at these, and fast.
First and foremost: remember that you're just settling in for a talk with a friend.
Second, posture really does drive the way you think and sound. If the beer and sofa thing doesn't work for you, try a headset, feet on the desk, hands behind your head. Think: shooting the shit.
See my other WSO blog posts
The mirror next to the phone
The mirror next to the phone is an old boiler room trick, and it works like a champ. The mirror is there for you to focus on smiling while you speak. It comes across in your voice.
Another old school trick is to tape record yourself on the phone. Trust me - you don't sound the way you think you sound on the phone.
Also, stand up. It helps you to project your voice.
Great post!
See my other WSO blog posts>
bankerella, this is
The Auto Show
I do my phone interviews
'Before you enter... be willing to pay the price'
If you guys don't have your
"A man generally has two reasons for doing anything. One that sounds good, and the real one." - J.P. Morgan
Skype interviews will replace
drinking a little bit has
Skype interviews? With with
"The future isn't what it used to be "-Yogi Berra
"Perhaps you've failed to take into account my hidden assets"-007
The coolest cat on WSO
My BLOG
Financier4Hire: Skype
Turbo leverage for capital explosion -- BD Capital
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SirTradesaLot: Financier4Hi
"The future isn't what it used to be "-Yogi Berra
"Perhaps you've failed to take into account my hidden assets"-007
The coolest cat on WSO
My BLOG
Financier4Hire: SirTradesaL
Turbo leverage for capital explosion -- BD Capital
My WSO Blog
Financier4Hire: SirTradesaL
See my other WSO blog posts
bankerella: Financier4Hire:
"The future isn't what it used to be "-Yogi Berra
"Perhaps you've failed to take into account my hidden assets"-007
The coolest cat on WSO
My BLOG
Financier4Hire: Thank you,
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melvvvar: cupped the
And I think it's gonna be a long, long, time
Going
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bankerella: Going
And I think it's gonna be a long, long, time
Barbarella, you're an
"The future isn't what it used to be "-Yogi Berra
"Perhaps you've failed to take into account my hidden assets"-007
The coolest cat on WSO
My BLOG
Financier4Hire: Barbarella,
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I'll just just kiss you
"The future isn't what it used to be "-Yogi Berra
"Perhaps you've failed to take into account my hidden assets"-007
The coolest cat on WSO
My BLOG
+1
Pretty sure BSDs don't do
If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses - Henry Ford
happypantsmcgee: Pretty sure
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bankerella: happypantsmcgee
If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses - Henry Ford
Are you better looking or
bankerella: I wouldn't know,
The Auto Show
huanleshalemei: bankerella:
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bankerella: huanleshalemei:
And I think it's gonna be a long, long, time
Do you guys have any tips for
I'm talking about liquid. Rich enough to have your own jet. Rich enough not to waste time. Fifty, a hundred million dollars, buddy. A player. Or nothing.
Matrick: Do you guys have any
Reality denied comes back to haunt
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Yeah, I know exactly what you
I'm talking about liquid. Rich enough to have your own jet. Rich enough not to waste time. Fifty, a hundred million dollars, buddy. A player. Or nothing.
WhiteHat: Matrick: Do you
I hate victims who respect their executioners
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My favorite part of this was
"Jesus, he's like a gremlin; comes with instructions and shit"
marcellus_wallace: Are you
bankerella: I wouldn't know,
"Accept no one's definition of your life; define yourself."
Currently: quantitative marketing/business development
Previously: management consulting, investment banking
thx, do what you have to do