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I just finished a phone interview with a company and I'm not entirely sure how well/bad I did. This is for a typist position, mostly transcription with some administrative tasks occasionally. I was nervous during the phone interview as this was my first phone interview and I only remember saying "uhm" once or twice. I felt like I spoke very fast and didn't take much time to slow down or take a breather. This would be my first job if I get an offer.
We greeted each other, she asked some basic questions (i.e. Tell me about yourself, what do you do in your free time, etc.) and I answered. I did a lot of research on the company prior to this call but no questions were asked about how much I knew. She mentioned that I had the highest WPM of the current group of candidates (I took an in-house typing test and scored 110 with 99% accuracy, the minimum requirement was 60) and that was "definitely a good thing". She asked me if I had any questions, to which I asked and she responded. At the end, she told me that they will be reviewing the candidates and calling those who qualify within the week or two to schedule a face-to-face interview. We thanked each other for talking and we ended the phone call.
The entire call lasted around 10 minutes and I was wondering if that was too short for an entry-level/typist position? I felt that I had excelled with my technical skills during the in-house tests but completely flipped my chances upside-down by being nervous during this phone interview. I wasn't nervous at all when I met her during the tests for some reason.
Ive had phone interviews that lasted 10 minutes (just a quick HR screen) that yielded in person interviews and I have also had hour long phone interviews that went no where. There is no real measurable value other then what you gut is saying. Did everything go smooth? Did you have well thought out answers to the questions you asked? Did you end up rambling? Were you guys laughing/being personable?
I had a phone interview that literally lasted 4 mins. The next day I was contacted for a face to face. I didnt go plus NY is way too expensive. I think you're fine.
Ive had phone interviews that lasted 10 minutes (just a quick HR screen) that yielded in person interviews and I have also had hour long phone interviews that went no where. There is no real measurable value other then what you gut is saying. Did everything go smooth? Did you have well thought out answers to the questions you asked? Did you end up rambling? Were you guys laughing/being personable?
I don't think I rambled that much, if at all, and no problems came up but I felt like I was a little too nervous during the phone call. I had everything researched and prepared what questions I was expecting to be asked as well as the answers to them. I told myself I wanted to mirror how fast/slow she was talking but ended up talking faster than she did. The nervousness made me say a couple of sentences back-to-back very quickly as if I was missing a couple of commas or periods. There were a couple of times where there would be a "Wow, that's interesting!" or comments like that but not exactly any laughing. I had my research notes, questions, answers, resume, and everything ready in front of me but when the phone call came around, I kind of just got nervous of no-where.
I'm hoping that my WPM will pull me through seeing how this job is mostly transcription but I've read so many stories online where phone interviews typically last 25+ minutes. I might be looking too much into it for this screening process/position but at the same time I feel I could have done better on the phone interview. I'm thinking of sending a thank-you email in a couple of hours to reiterate my interest, not sure if it'll make much of a difference.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr.2089
I had a phone interview that literally lasted 4 mins. The next day I was contacted for a face to face. I didnt go plus NY is way too expensive. I think you're fine.
I'm hoping that's the case for me, I really want this position and I'd feel disappointed in myself if I messed up with a phone interview. I'm still applying for other places but this one is the one I am interested in most.
I don't think you have anything to worry about. Different companies use the phone interview in very different ways. Some consider it (almost) equal in scope to the face-to-face interview, while others are just checking a box in the hiring process. I had one phone interview where my contact person asked me to set aside half an hour, but we wound up talking for almost an hour about minute details of my work history, specific market segments they are hoping the new hire will target, etc. Another was pretty much just a perfunctory 5-minute conversation where the HR rep described the job and asked if I was still interested. Both lead to in-person interviews. (No job offers yet, but both were pretty recent so I am still holding out hope.)
I don't think you have anything to worry about. Different companies use the phone interview in very different ways. Some consider it (almost) equal in scope to the face-to-face interview, while others are just checking a box in the hiring process. I had one phone interview where my contact person asked me to set aside half an hour, but we wound up talking for almost an hour about minute details of my work history, specific market segments they are hoping the new hire will target, etc. Another was pretty much just a perfunctory 5-minute conversation where the HR rep described the job and asked if I was still interested. Both lead to in-person interviews. (No job offers yet, but both were pretty recent so I am still holding out hope.)
Thank you for the comforting words. After reading these responses, I feel a lot more at ease about my application. I still believe I could have done better but I'll just be glad I didn't make it a disaster and take it as a learning experience. Now I just cross my fingers and hope that I receive a call for an in-person interview. I hope you receive a job offer from one (or both) of your employers!
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I wasn't nervous at all when I met her during the tests for some reason.
