Interviewing

RetirementJobs.com Staff Writers
Article 7 of 8 from "The New World of Job Searching"

You've sent out resumes and applied for numerous job openings. If you're fortunate, you receive an acknowledgement, and then, most often, a long period of silence follows. And then it comes - an email, phone call or voice message (seldom a written letter anymore) - "can we talk about your interest in our job?"

No message invokes such elation, and such anxiety. So many applications, maybe even interviews, with no success.

In today's economy and with highly automated, some say dehumanized, employment processes, just receiving an interview is a cause for excitement and celebration. Sure, this is the call all job hunters are waiting anxiously for, but now what?

The Initial Phone Conversation
Increasingly, employers may first want to speak with you on the phone. The call may be as simple as confirming your interest and continued availability or it may be a rigorous screening interview. Often, it may be simply to schedule an in-person interview.

If the employer wants the initial interview to be over the phone, don't feel obligated to launch right into the conversation unprepared. You don't want the recruiter to think you have just been sitting waiting for their call. It's perfectly fine to say "I don't have the time for a lengthy conversation right now but would be available ("later today" or "perhaps tomorrow morning").

Take the time to ask some questions and get your bearings. When you call the employer for the first time, be prepared with several questions:

What did you find of interest in my application? Who will I be speaking with? (Get their name, title, address, phone and email) How much time will be needed? Will there be tests or on-the-job trials (i.e. Text editing, keyboarding, business math, etc.) Where and when will the interview take place? What's the appropriate attire? (Always "dress up" even if told "it's casual") What is the interviewing and screening process? What would you recommend I do for preparation?

If you are working with a recruiting firm, you may be learning of the interview request through your contact there. This will be your "middleman" in dealing with the employer. This can speed or impede the process, and it can certainly be more frustrating than if you could handle the arrangements yourself. It's one of the downsides of working through a recruiter. Regardless, be sure to ask the same questions.