No one ever said finding a job is easy. It can be a lengthy process and include several rounds of interviews before you land an offer that is right for you. The good thing is that if you are receiving positive responses and getting interview opportunities, your resume is doing its job – reeling in opportunities for you to further make the case that you are the most qualified candidate for the job.

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There’s no guarantee that all interviews will go smoothly. It would be fair to say that from time to time there will be an occasion or two where you do not perform your best. It may because of one or several factors, such as an unexpected late arrival to the interview, your inability to communicate with focus because questions were not clear, you stumbled on responses because you did not have enough information or did not come prepared enough, your nerves got to you, or there was a lack of rapport with the interviewer.

Even if there are times when you do not perform your best in an interview, it is important to not give up. Continue with a professional follow-up and stay motivated. You should:

• Send a follow-up thank you note.
  Express appreciation to the employer for taking the time to speak with you. You should never burn any bridges regardless of whether you are no longer interested in the position or believe you no longer have a chance at the opportunity. While you may have not performed your best, there was clearly something the employer saw in your resume that captured their attention initially. Your interview may have also had some positive moments. Your follow-up thank you note will provide the potential for another chance or consideration to future openings that may be more suitable with this particular employer.
• Admit obvious errors and redeem yourself.
  “Obvious errors” refers to your actions, such as arriving late to the interview. Apologize for your lateness. While there is no way to change the facts of what has happened, a sincere apology will leave a much better impression than acting or responding nonchalantly about any wrongdoings. The after-interview follow-up should also be used as a chance to help you redeem yourself. Add clarity and reinforce information that you felt could have been conveyed more strongly during the interview.
• Reiterate your qualifications.
  If you have done your homework, you should walk out of an interview with a clear understanding of what the biggest challenge a person in this job will face. Take this knowledge and use it to your advantage. Address those areas further or take the opportunity to present additional information that may have been lacking in your resume and during the interview. This will highlight your capabilities in those areas and strengthen your standing.

Job seekers need to stay motivated when going through the job search and interviews. Whether you performed well or poorly in an interview, these experiences offer much needed practice to help you perform even better in future interviews. You can learn from each experience and know what areas you should be more prepared for the next time.

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Even when you have the education and professional background to qualify for the job, don’t count on it as a sure win that you will be asked to come in for an interview. In fact, your qualifications may hinder your chances.

It’s very common in today’s market for employers to dismiss a job applicant’s application and resume because they are “overqualified.” Yes, you read correctly. It’s not a matter of being under qualified, but overqualified. The fact is today’s market has an abundant supply of highly qualified candidates but not enough jobs to go around for everyone.

More candidates are resorting to applying for positions where the level of expertise required on the job is below their previous position’s requirements. Many candidates today are also choosing to change careers, starting at an entry level, where there may be more job opportunities.

The challenge for today’s job applicants is not simply competing with so many other applicants but finding a fine balance of information to place on their resume without coming off overqualified. Employers are mostly concerned that, if you take a lesser position, you will leave once your find a position that is more commensurate with your skills.

Here are a few tips to help guide you in preparing your resume for the next job opportunity and avoid coming off overqualified and ruining your chances at the opportunity.

1. Only include relevant work experience.
   Focus on what the employer is looking for and show them you can do it. If some of your management experience is not a part of their job description, then don’t mention it. This tip is especially critical for applicants moving from one career to another.

   For instance, if you had your own mortgage or construction firm and are now just looking for a sales job, just speak to your experience driving sales.  You can also change your title from Owner (no one searches for Owners) to Sales Manager. Consider having a Career Highlights section before your professional experience that showcases your very impressive sales results before they read about your career chronology.

2. Highlight only degrees you obtained that are necessary to qualify for the job.
   Many of today’s positions require candidates to have a bachelor’s or master’s degree. If you continued to pursue education to obtain other degrees, earning you the title of Ph.D., M.D. or others, don’t be so quick to include that information on your resume. You have to ask if it is at all relevant to the job you are applying for. It’s great if you moved on to obtain your Ph.D. in neuroscience, but if the employer’s business and the job is focused on finance and accounting for toy manufacturing/distribution, your additional education will be of little relevance and may sway an employer to reconsider whether you are relevant for the position.
3. Work your cover letter to give a sufficient explanation as to why you want the job and how your experience, skills and talent make you the right fit.
   The last thing an employer wants is a new hire who took the job because he couldn’t get anything better and is just settling. Give the employer confidence that you are challenged by the opportunity and will be there a year from now. If there is the chance your resume comes off as overqualified, in addition to working the tips above, make sure to provide sufficient explanation in your cover letter. Many people are focusing more on quality of life and are willing to give up the stress and long hours of management positions, so don’t be afraid to state that. The employer needs to know that you are not simply taking the job because you can’t find anything better. They also need to be assured that you aren’t going to be quick to run off to another job as soon as the market improves or another opportunity opens up that is more in line with your level of experience from your previous position.

Your resume is a marketing tool to help get your foot in the door for an interview. Placing too much information or irrelevant information will only give the employer more reason to dismiss you. Carefully review the job posting and do your research to really understand what skills and talents are desired for the position so that you present your resume and qualifications in the best light. Not everything you’ve accomplished, regardless of how significant it is, is appropriate to include in your resume. Think to yourself about whether what you’ve presented is too much information and not enough relevance. Employers review resumes to find a reason to reject a candidate.

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Doing well in a job interview is the result of many things, ranging from the first impressions you make with your physical appearance (body language) to how well you communicate and respond to questions. There are the predictable questions, such as “What are your greatest strengths/weaknesses?” and then there are the offbeat questions that may make your nerves rattle and leave you dazed as to how to respond diplomatically and professionally.

The fact is there isn’t going to be a correct answer to offbeat questions, only correct responses. Such questions are usually asked to help the employer understand how well you handle tough situations and how you think through solutions. Are you one to get rattled and breakdown in communication when stumped with an odd question or do you stay calm, cool and collected, maintaining confidence and a positive attitude?

There’s no real way to prepare for the oddball questions because they are “offbeat,” but what you can do is ensure your communication and responses to such questions leave a positive message that helps the employer develop the best possible impression of you.

Here are a few tips to help you maintain positive communication and composure during job interviews regardless of what questions are asked:

• Think positive and keep your tone and responses positive. Your mission is to make yourself desirable to the employer based on your experience, talent and skills. If you focus on what you have to offer and express confidence and a positive tone, the employer will develop a much better impression in your favor than if you touch on negative points that may make you less favorable of a candidate. Even when questions are asked about your weaknesses, your mission is to address the question directly and immediately turn it to a more positive note such as how you would work through the problem and address it.
• Don’t restate the negative. Just because an employer positions a question a specific way that may connote the negative, do not follow that lead in your response. For instance, avoid stating “My greatest weakness is….” Instead, respond by jumping right into what you have done to address the issue and how it has helped you succeed. This approach helps you avoid jumping around the question but puts the focus of the key message on an area that is an advantage for you.
• Turn to your creative side and humor. Not all questions in an interview require a serious response. Offbeat questions are often times asked by employers to test your creativity and humor.  Demonstrate your ability to think on your feet. Also find ways in which you can relate it back to the job. The important thing is to not let these types of questions stump you, and the best way to do that is to take in the question with a bit of humor and respond in the same manner.
• Never say, “I don’t know.” Such a response implies to an employer that you are unprepared and give up easily to challenges, which isn’t the ideal impression you want to make. Take a moment to process the question and analyze how you can respond back in a way to further express your character while possibly tying it back to your capabilities for the job. In such situations, it may also help to think out loud. Such an approach helps you walk the employer through your thinking process rather than have dead silence in the air for too long.

The key to doing well in a job interview as it relates to communication and your response to questions is to remain poised and self-assured. While the question may appear to be an approach by the employer to knock you off your feet, remain positive and calm in your response. Also, always give a response that ties back to how you are the most fit for the job.

So you’ve gotten through the hurdle of securing an employer’s interest with your resume, but now the real challenge begins – the interview.

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While an interview is no guarantee to a job offer, your chances at it are much improved if you properly prepare for it well ahead of time. Here is information you should have on hand before stepping through the doors of any employer to create the best possible impression.

• Understand the organization’s mission.
  When I was hiring people the first question I would ask was “What do you know about us”? If the response indicated that they did not bother to spend the time to research our firm, they were a definite Do Not Hire.

  So check out the organization’s website to get a general sense of what they are about, what products/services are offered, who its audience is, where its office locations are and who the key members of management are. Importantly, look at their latest news and press releases and see if that applies to you. Perhaps they just opened a new plant and need someone who can quickly step into an HR role and staff it. For specialized industries, you may also find it helpful to scour through industry journal and newsletters. And don’t forget to look them up on LinkedIn and even Facebook to get a sense of their messaging.

  Reading up on the company and the latest general industry news will give you a clearer picture of issues that matter, and help you to speak “smartly.” The messages and points you make during the interview will fit in line with what is relevant to the employer.

  For a great example of how powerful this small step can be, see Quick Way to Own the Interview

• Check out the Decision Maker and Interviewer
  You should always get as much information about the decision maker and interviewer through LinkedIn. It will tell you how long they’ve been there, where they came from and if you look at the groups and discussions they participate in, their areas of interest.  It will also tell you if someone else had this job and whether they left or got promoted.

  I know a sales guy who turned an interview with a sour hiring manager into an instant job offer by researching his background and discovering his long military career. So when he related his own military career to his disciplined approach to sales, he built instant rapport and differentiated himself from other candidates.

• Prepare supporting points to demonstrate how your experience, skills and strengths are relevant and will benefit the employer.
  An interview is a chance for you to learn about the opportunity as well as for the employer to further determine if you are the best candidate for the job. Start by identifying the 5 top skills that are the most important to the job and then focus on how you have demonstrated them successfully in your career.

  Some employers may ask for a rundown of your resume while others may poke at specific experiences on your resume and dig deeper for more information or examples to demonstrate your skills and success. Go over your resume and make sure you know what you will say about each experience to make yourself shine.  Be aware of what you have written on your resume so that your talking points match up and enhance the messages you’ve projected from the resume. Be ready to provide case examples to help demonstrate specific points and achievements.

• Be prepared with questions for the employer.
  Each interview takes on a different format, but somewhere along the way an employer will likely ask if you have any questions. Even if the interview was packed with information, always have questions prepared to ask the employer that have not been touched on or that you can benefit from by having more information. Asking questions expresses to an employer that you are serious and sincerely interested in the company and position.

  Asking the “right” questions can also help solidify a positive impression. For instance, if you have done the proper research on the company before the interview, you may have knowledge of developments happening at the company or within the industry that may have an impact on the job you apply for. Asking questions that express you are thinking ahead about the job and how certain developments may impact the business demonstrates to an employer that you are a “smart” candidate. You are already thinking like you belong in the position and looking ahead at how to address possible challenges. These types of questions can also help the employer see how you fit right in.  Also see The Most Important Question to Ask in an Interview.

• List of references.
  Many employers ask candidates to complete an application form upon arrival. Applications often ask you to list references. Come prepared with two to three contacts you have recently been in contact with who are aware of your job search and who can provide positive feedback. You will need the references’ business information (company, title, phone number and email address).

  Many employers do not resort to contacting references until they have come down to one or two candidates to choose from. Make sure you have properly obtained permission from your contacts to list their information as your reference. They should also be briefed on the position you are applying for so that they are well informed should the employer take action to contact them.

Preparing for an interview is about having the right state of mind, but there are also other common things you must have prepared that may be overlooked. Make sure you have extra copies of your resume and pen and paper to take down important notes that allow you to personalize the thank you follow-up note after the interview. For those applying for a position such as art or writing, make sure to have a portfolio of your work to leave behind or to show to the employer.

Lastly, know who you will be meeting with. In addition, account early for how to get to the address and how much time it will take you. Don’t sabotage all the time and effort you put in to preparing for the interview by arriving late to an appointment. Small issues like these can make an immediate negative impression.

Your cover letter and resume has made a positive impression on a potential employer and they’ve called you in for an interview. Now you need to ensure the employer stays impressed with you and your potential in their organization. 

There’s an old saying that first impressions count – and there is no better instance of the truth to this than the impressions made during an interview. A variety of factors are in effect. It may include the way you are dressed, how you communicate, your personality, and a number of other considerations. It takes a lot to develop a positive impression, and conversely requires very little to leave one that does not work in your favor as key decisions are made for the new talent they need to bring on.  

All the time invested into planning and preparing becomes obsolete with these mistakes commonly seen with some job candidates.   

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1. Arriving late
   Everyone’s time is value. Show respect and do not waste other people’s time. If there is an unexpected delay, at the very least, give a call to apologize and inform your contact of your expected arrival time.  
2.  Jumping into the discussion of pay and benefits  
   There will be a time for this discussion – generally not in the first interview, unless it is approached by the employer. You do not want to appear as though all you care about is “what is in it for me.” At the same time, approaching the topic of salary is especially risky. You may end up putting yourself in a position where you are asked to present a desired salary and fall under what the company had anticipated. Learn more about the position and conduct research before going into discussion of salary.
3. Answering a cell phone
   Show respect by letting your employer know this interview is more important than any call you have. Turn off your cell phone. If you forget and it rings, apologize and turn it off.
4. Talking bad about your previous or current employer
   Regardless of the reality of the situation, never talk bad about your current or previous employer(s). It brings to question if you will do the same with this potential employer in the future.
5. Being brief or hiding from questions or talking too much
   Just as you want to learn about the employer, the employer wants to learn about you. At the same time, you don’t want to be the only one talking throughout the interview. Learn to listen and have a balanced conversation where you both have a chance to receive information and ask questions.
6. Not asking questions
   Regardless of how thorough the interview discussion is, when asked, “Do you have any questions for me?,” always have a question. When you do not have a question, it may come across as though you are not sincerely interested in the opportunity. For additional tips, take a look at our post on “The 4 Most Important Questions to Ask at an Interview.”
7. Dressing inappropriately
   Your appearance includes not just what you wear but how you groom yourself. Employers will not be impressed with a sloppy appearance. You need to appear and dress the part of what is expected of the position.
8. Being unprepared
   Conduct research so that you have at least a general sense of the type of business the company is in and what the position you are applying for is about. You will be able to better tailor your communication during discussion and questions with the employer.
9. Lying
   False information can lead to an immediate disqualification and exemplify your weaknesses.
10. Being inattentive
    Carefully listen to what the interviewer is saying and show that you are attentive. You do not want to appear disinterested and come off as inattentive. It is not a desirable characteristic for any position.

Most candidates will only receive one opportunity to make an impression. Make sure the one you leave is as positive as possible by keeping these tips in mind during your next interview.

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So you’ve completed the process of searching for a job and sent out your cover letter and resume. Now, you’re invited to come in for an interview.

An interview is a critical point in the job hunting process. It helps you and the potential employer get a sense of whether you are the right fit for the position and company culture. It also directs the next step – a second interview, an offer, or the need to go back to step one with a continued search.

One of the things job candidates can do to make a good impression during the interview is to ask sensible questions. Posing appropriate questions related to your role and assignment conveys to the employer your interest and desire to work with the company. It also helps you gather the information you will need to formulate an impression of the position and whether the opportunity is a good fit for your personal goals. Lastly, and most important, the responses you receive from the interviewer provide critical information to help you focus on relevant points that may be considered most important by the employer during the discussion.

For example, if you ask, “What are some important characteristic you’re looking for out of a candidate for this position?” The employer may respond with a focus on leadership, project management skills, and experience with social media.  In such an instance, during the interview, you can tailor your conversation and responses with information to demonstrate how you have the capabilities they’re looking for versus focusing on points you think are important based simply on assumption.

So, what questions do you need to ask during an interview so that the employer develops a good impression of you and so that you gather critical information to determine if this is an appropriate next step for your career?

1. Ask why this position is open or if it is a newly created position. The response can tell you multiple things:
   • The company is growing;
   • The value of the position to the overall business or organization; and
   • The turnover rate or stability of the position.
2. Ask about the performance of the position in the past (if it existed) and what improvements or changes are desired from the new candidate. The response will tell you about:
   • Day-to-day or general expectations of the position;
   • Challenges with the position; and
   • Characteristics desired in a candidate to meet and go beyond requirements to succeed.
3. Ask about whom you will report to, who reports to you, and which contacts you have day-to-day contact with. The response tells you:
   • Structure of organization or direct team and who else will influence the decision;
   • Who you may potentially be interviewed by later in the process; and
   • Insight to individuals’ personalities or experience (for example, “You will report to Bob who has been with us for 10 years.”)
4. Ask if they feel you are well-qualified for the position. This is very important and tells you:
   • Any objections they might have giving you the opportunity to respond and overcome them;
   • Clarification regarding whether you are really in the running for the job.

Every question you ask during an interview should give insight to help you better formulate an impression of the position and company, offer you information on what experience and skills you need to highlight, and what next steps you need to take to secure an offer.

And a last word of advice, always have a question for an employer when they ask, “Do you have any questions for me?” Regardless of how thorough the interview discussion was, think hard about whether you have neglected to cover anything additional that would be important to leaving a positive impression with your interviewer as you leave their offices for the day.

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How do you know how much you should expect in a job offer? This is especially difficult for candidates to assess when one is entering a new field, making a career change, moving to a new location, or entering the workforce as a recent graduate. It is also a question you should have an answer to before accepting a job offer.

In order to negotiate a competitive salary, you need to know what the industry standard is for that job and that location. For instance, you can easily see a $20K or more salary difference for the same position simply by being based in a metropolitan city versus a small town, reflecting the associated cost of living. Or if you have unique talent or skills valued by an employer, you may also have better leverage in negotiating a more competitive salary.

Although today’s market condition means that many candidates are more concerned about securing a job versus being offered competitive pay, do not sell yourself short. At minimum, research what you are worth so that you are prepared to negotiate with the employer for a salary that meets the industry standard when an offer is presented.

So, you may ask, “Where do I begin to look for or research salary information?” Here are several reliable ways to obtain salary information. Resort to more than one of these resources for a comprehensive view of what is reasonable and fair.

1. A reliable resource for salary information is your own network of contacts. Do you know someone in the particular field of practice? While most people do not share personal salary details, you may inform the person that you are seeking advice on salary to help with negotiation. Present your contact with a salary range and ask for their opinion as to whether they view it as low, reasonable, high or what they think would be fair.
2. Seek information from your industry’s professional organizations and publications. Many professional organizations and industry publications conduct annual surveys and publish results, breaking down fine details. For instance, public relation professionals may rely on PR Week’s annual Salary Survey results. It also offers information related to job satisfaction for professionals at various levels in the industry.
3. Research at salary websites. There are dozens of salary websites you can resort to in order to find details on what others are being paid for similar positions in particular fields, industries and locations. Each site varies in their method of salary calculation. However, by reviewing several of these sites, you will have a general understanding of what a competitive salary is for the position you seek. In alphabetical order, some of the salary websites include:

• CareerBliss (www.careerbliss.com): Find salary information and reviews on positions at different companies and organizations from this site. Employees directly contribute to the information offered.
• Glassdoor (www.glassdoor.com): This site’s data is based on information entered directly by employees at the companies included. In addition to salary information, you can obtain perspective on company and organization cultures.
• Indeed (www.indeed.com): This site offers salary information and you can also see trends for particular industries in terms of employment growth.
• PayScale (www.payscale.com): This site is relied on by candidates and employers, alike. The online compensation database provides current pay records collected from employees and employers. A salary calculator is also offered. Certain services and access require a nominal fee.
• Salary (www.salary.com ): Provides real-time statistics on thousands of positions by location. You can price 3 jobs for free and other services and access require a nominal fee.
• The Vault (www.vault.com): In addition to finding particular positions within an organization and the salary scale for those positions, you can review company message boards for insight to how the interview process is conducted and take a peek at other insiders’ perspectives. There is a nominal fee to access certain information.
• WetFeet (www.wetfeet.com): This site offers information on compensation for particular careers and insight into companies and desired talent and skills for positions.

At the moment, the job market is not in its best state. However, you still have the option to negotiate for an offer that meets industry standards. If you don’t bother asking, you will never know and may end up falling short. Also keep in mind that while salary is important, you should also factor in additional employee benefits that may make the overall offer package a greater value, including benefits, bonuses, 401K matches, and many other considerations.

People hire people they like. So while your skills and experience are important elements to securing a job offer, just as important is your ability to build rapport that is natural and engaging with your interviewer. The rapport you establish during an interview can greatly impact the impression you leave behind.

Building rapport occurs in many ways. In addition to having subject matter that you both can relate to, it is also very much about body language. The handshake you offer when you first meet your contact, how you stand and sit, your facial expression and eye contact, to where you place your arms, hands, legs and feet is all part of body language to help establish the confident and engaged impression you want to leave with the interviewer. The more engaged you are and the more similarities the interviewer sees in terms of your body language, the easier it is to establish rapport.

Find out more on how to project effective body language during an interview from my blog post on “What Your Interview Body Language Reveals about You.”

Effectively building rapport is what gives many candidates the leg-up in the company’s interview process. Even if the candidate does not have as much experience as another candidate, he is seen as more favorable because he’s been able to connect with the interviewer in a way that is more relatable and can be seen as fitting along with the rest of the people at the company. Those who do the hiring want to know that the candidate is someone they themselves would enjoy working with.

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Ace your interviews by applying confident and positive body language with relevant topics that help build effective rapport. You will come out of the interview leaving your contact with the best possible impression for consideration to a job offer. Meaningful topics of relevance to help build rapport during an interview include:

1. Current events on the company and/or industry.
   Before you go in for an interview, look over the company’s website for news events. Most company websites have a section with press releases. Did the company just sign a significant partnership, bring in a key individual from the industry or launch a new product? These are topics that can help build rapport and show you are on top of what’s going on at the company or industry.  It shows you have a sincere interest in the company.
2. Challenges of the position and challenges the company faces.
   Asking questions about challenges and then turning around the discussion to clearly point out how you may have experience handling the issues is an easy way to show your contact that you have a desire to learn, face problems and bring solutions.
3. Information about your contact.
   Establishing small talk with your interviewer may be done by asking questions such how she came to work for the company or her experience with particular projects. If you are conducting an interview in your interviewer’s office, take note of any family photos showing children or locations you may relate you. You may draw up small talk simply by commenting on the beautiful smiles of the children in the photo, asking how old they are, and sharing information on the age of children you may have of your own. You can also ask if a photo was taken at a certain destination and add comment on how it relates to you – whether it’s your hometown or if you went on vacation there recently. Small talk is a time where an interviewer can get a better feel for your personality and a chance to establish a stronger bond by showing how you two may have similarities. Many questions during the interview may be standard and seem a bit rehearsed, so slightly stray from the norm with small talk during the earlier part or latter part of the interview.

There’s generally a clear sense of what is expected out of an interview. The employer wants to know how serious you are about this opportunity by your preparedness for the interview and what you can offer to the company through your skills and experience. Now, just let them know you are someone who can work well with the team and you will be on the right path to acing the interview.

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Imagine stepping into a deep conversation with a friend. You may share the same posture, hand gestures, tone and rate of speech. You can also tell when other people are in deep conversation by similarities in body language. What is happening is mirroring. It is subconsciously helping those in conversation maintain rapport through similarities observed from body language. There is a sense of ease talking with one another and a sense of the same mood.

Establishing good rapport is vitally important during a job interview and it may make the difference between getting an offer or not. Remember, people hire people they like so, the next time you find yourself in a job interview, apply the technique of mirroring to help you get a better handle of the other person and to make everyone feel at ease with the conversation that is taking place.

Mirroring is about observing the other person’s body language, which may include posture, hand gestures, facial expressions, tone, volume and rate of speech, and applying it to your body language. Of course, mirroring should be sincere and natural.

Keep in mind the following tips to help observe body language and apply mirroring subtly.

• Body Posture: Review body posture, which may include sitting upright, leaning forward and placing hands on the table. Wait at least 10 seconds after observing before making adjustments to your own body posture to match.
• Hand Gestures: Watch how your contact makes hand gestures when talking and, if applicable, do the same when it is your turn to talk.
• Voice: Review the tone, volume and rate of speech when your contact speaks and apply the same when you are responding with comment.
• Head Movement: Look out for head gestures such as a nod or tilt of the head and respond accordingly.
• Facial Expressions: Facial expressions may include a raised eyebrow or smile. Make a connection with your own facial expression to exemplify that you understand what the other person is saying and that you are engaged in the conversation.

Be careful though. If mirroring is not done sincerely, you can come off as dishonest and it can ruin your chance of making a positive impression. Take care in applying the tips above and avoid mirroring negative connotations in body language. Negative connotations may include crossing arms over the chest, looking at the clock or watch, leaning the chin on the hand, yawning and turning the body sideways.

Mirroring is a technique that is effective, easy to apply and offers a simple way for you to establish a connection in new ways by reinforcing perceptions and physical behaviors. Apply the technique during a job interview, networking, and many other instances in life to help build rapport and relationships with important constituents.

Many employers have found a new way to save time screening applicants. Today, more employers are first resorting to a telephone interview before inviting a job candidate to an in-person meeting. With more applicants available for each opening, employers do not have the time to invest in a meeting for every candidate that simply looks good on paper, so the telephone interview is used to screen a candidate and determine if he sounds as good as he looks on paper.

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Some of these phone interviews may include standard questions that ask about facts, such as your experience and any specific skills you have. However, there are also employers who dive right into some of the most challenging questions, such as giving you a scenario and asking for your response and plan to handle the situation described.

As a job applicant, there are benefits and disadvantages to a phone interview. Some people are well-spoken and are great on the phone, but in person, their nervousness gets to them. Some are more comfortable speaking in-person and lack personality on the phone. Under both situations, it can be a challenge when you don’t have feedback that may typically appear through face-to-face contact.

Regardless of the situation, you need to put your best voice forward to leave the employer with a good impression. This may be the only shot you have at getting a step closer to securing a job offer with them. Remember that the employer may change their mind about inviting you in for an interview if you fall short of their expectations or leave a negative impression on the phone.

Note that in a phone interview, your intonation is most important in how you come across, so you should be energetic and enthusiastic and change your tone to better engage the interviewer. You should also be prepared to ask some basic questions, although save the big ones for a formal interview.

Take the tips offered here to help put your best voice forward and further advance on an opportunity to a job offer.

• Treat every call you receive as an interview. Phone interviews may not always be scheduled. An employer may call you to respond to your submitted cover letter and resume, and the moment you pick up the phone an interview may occur right then. Most employers will be courteous to first ask you if this is a good time, but that does not always happen.  So, if you believe there is a chance an employer may be calling, be prepared by providing a professional greeting on your voicemail or when you pick up. Also be conscious of what the caller may hear in the background if you pick up the phone. If it’s not an appropriate time or place to talk, let it go to voicemail, but try to call back immediately when it is more appropriate for you to talk.
• Talk enthusiastically. Since the interviewer will not see your face, all they have to work off of is the voice you present, so make sure it sounds enthusiastic and energized with confidence. Try keeping a smile on your face as you talk and be aware of your tone and pitch so you do not come off sounding monotone.
• Watch your words. Keep a “can do” attitude when you talk. It will leave a more positive impression than if an employer were to hear, “I can’t,” “I don’t,” or “I haven’t.” Also be conscious of how you speak, to avoid the “ahs,” “errs” and “ums.” You can come across as unsure of yourself and lacking in confidence.
• Use a clear line. Many people list their cell phone number on job applications, cover letters and resumes, which is fine, as long as when the phone is answered you are under good reception. If you are the one initiating the phone call, use a landline to avoid static or dropped calls. Also important is finding a quiet location where you will not be disturbed or distracted.
• Be prepared as you would when you attend an interview in person. Keep in mind points that you can use to help explain how your previous experiences or skills make you a good fit for the open position. Also, always have questions in mind to ask during the interview that show your interest and desire to work with the company. Don’t forget to also keep your resume, a sheet of paper and pen on hand. You’ll need these items for reference or to take notes while on the call.
• Find out next steps. Interviews, whether in-person or over the phone, should end with an understanding of what the next steps are. If it was not covered, be sure to ask. The employer may also view this question in a positive way that you care about this opportunity and have a desire for it.

Remember, phone interviews deserve a follow up thank you note or e-mail to the individual(s) you spoke with – just as you would do after an in-person interview.

Treat phone interviews as important as a face-to-face interview. The impression you make on the phone will also be taken in to consideration when the employer is trying to decide between you and another candidate for the position.