About the Author
The author has been in the hospitality and educational field for over 25 years. He has taught students, adults and professionals on resume writing and interviewing techniques. He has interviewed and hired thousands of individuals from hourly workers to vice presidents of major companies. This book will not attempt to discuss how to interview in a face to face situation. There are many excellent books already on the market. This book will help you prepare for and successfully complete a phone interview. This is the first step in getting that job you always wanted whether you have been downsized or looking to make a career change. It offers tips and strategies to help you prepare for and answer questions so you can provide the right responses.
If it's your job to interview people for a company position, this book offers strategies to help you determine if an applicant is right for your company by recommending questions to ask and how to analyze their responses.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
At the start of the 21st century, we found the United States labor market shrinking to an estimated two to four percent, even as low as one percent in some places. For companies with job vacancies, finding candidates was challenging. For candidates in the 18-35 year-old age bracket, jobs were abundant. Those between the ages of 40-50 were entering the last stages of their careers, and those from ages 60-70 were starting to leave the workforce. This caused a wealth of new jobs to become available.
Unfortunately, after the September 11, 2001 tragedy and the loss of thousands of lives, many companies went out of business. This resulted in a devastating effect on the economy as companies began to lay off thousands of people. The Labor Department reported that 3.83 million people drew jobless benefits, the most since 1983. Unemployment in many parts of the country, soared to 5.4 percent in October 2001, compared to one percent in some areas. Now, as companies begin to rebuild, it's important for job seekers to be knowledgeable about how to conduct a successful phone interview.
This is a new challenge to many in the human resources profession and others responsible for the hiring process. Coming up with ways to entice candidates to work has become a creative nightmare. Considering the above factors, turnover, attrition, terminations, and the recent reluctance to fly and be away from family for long periods, it is crucial for companies to choose the right individuals for available positions. To be effective, the interviewer should follow a three-step process. The first step is to analyze the resume; the second is to conduct the phone interview; and the third step is to either reject the applicant or schedule a face-to-face interview.
This book offers tips and strategies on how to conduct a successful telephone interview. Whether you are the person conducting the interview or the candidate being interviewed, you'll have the knowledge and skills needed to make it a success.
The first section is dedicated to the APPLICANT - the person looking for a job or a career. It offers tips on interview preparation, the questions to be asked, why they are being asked, and how to effectively respond to them. The second section is dedicated to the INTERVIEWER - the person asking the questions to fill a position. It gives specifics on how to read a resume. It describes what to look for in an applicant, and how to determine through the phone interview whether to give the candidate further consideration or to reject them.
If you are an applicant or interviewer, I recommend you read this book in its entirety to fully understand the complete phone interviewing process from both perspectives.
