You are probably wondering “how can I prepare for a phone interview?”  I know, I was in your same spot when I was in the process of being hired to work from home.  This is why I am providing some great tips that will help you to prepare for ANY phone interview that you may have.

The preparation, conduct, method of handling questions, and even your body language are as likely to impact the outcome as if you were sitting in the office of the recruiter.  Following are some very useful guidelines.

Step One: The Rehearsal

Practice in front of the mirror, or with a friend or your spouse listening to you, asking questions and playing the part of the interviewer. Make a list of questions you expect the interviewer to ask and have good answers prepared, but have them on the top of your head in general and not memorized. Memorized answers can sound canned and not real, and will not help you. You need to appear genuine and real.

Step Two: Why are You Right for This Opportunity?

Prepare and practice two or three ideas that you want to get across to the interviewer as to why you are the right person for this opportunity. If you are having trouble thinking of ideas, read your resume again. Look for the key points, qualifications or accomplishments you have written, and be ready to discuss them.

Step Three: What’s in it for Them?

What can you do for the company? The recruiter really doesn’t care why you would like the opportunity; they care about how you can help the company if you are hired.

Step Four: Dress to Impress (Yourself)

On the morning of the interview, get dressed. Wear the same clothes when you are on the phone that you would wear if you were in front of the interviewer in person. Dress for success and your attitude will reflect it. Dress in your pajamas or an old sweat shirt and your attitude may reflect that as well.

Step Five: Smile

Smiles are contagious, even if they can’t be seen. Good salesmen know this and practice smiling on the phone. There is something in your voice and attitude that is conveyed when you smile, and the person on the other end of the phone can sense it. There is truth in the old saying, “Smile and the world smiles with you.” It is basic human nature.

Step Six: Speak Clearly

It is important to speak clearly and to enunciate your words. Use a good quality phone, a land line not a cordless. If at all possible do not use a cellular phone for the interview. Crackling noises are distractions and bad cell sites, leading to dropped calls, are a negative. You only want positives during your phone interview.

Step Seven: Relax. Be Yourself

During the interview itself, try to relax and be yourself and do your best. When it is over remember to thank the interviewer for his or her time, and offer to provide any other information they might need to make a decision. Be professional and you may well be rewarded with an opportunity.  (Author Heather Eagar)

Some other important things to remember:

Schedule the interview so that there is enough time to do homework and prepare. Reschedule surprise interviews. Tell the caller that you have a conflict and arrange a mutually convenient time that allows you at least 24 hours to organize and plan for the discussion. Make sure to get the name and title of the person with whom you will be speaking.

You should be in a quiet area where there are no distractions. That means making sure there are no disturbances. Barking dogs, crying children, background stereo or TV, or any other type of noise or disruption is unprofessional. Make sure your family knows you cannot be bothered. If alerted by your call waiting service, ignore it – and don’t forget to shut off your cell phone. If it is not possible to eliminate disturbances, then arrange to take the call from a location outside of your home or office.

Keep pen and paper handy to jot down an address, phone number, or the spelling of a name. It is our recommendation that you do not take notes while being interviewed. Note taking creates uncomfortable pauses in the dialog and you will invariably miss part of what is being said. Write any notes at the conclusion of the interview while the information is still fresh in your mind.

Lastly, thank the person for the interview, show enthusiasm about pursuing the opportunity, and ask about the next step in the process. Write a thank you note the same day. Follow up with a phone call within two or three days to ask questions that have surfaced since the interview.

I hope you enjoy all of the information provided in posting.  I know that I enjoy sharing it.   By the way, I LOVE receiving feedback from each and everyone of you… so please DO NOT be shy!  Leave a comment below & SHARE this information with your friends by clicking the links below the post to share on Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, and so forth.

To Your Development In Any Career You Pursue…

Blessings,

As you are conducting your search right now for that AWESOME opportunity to do from the comfort of your own home.  I want to make sure you understand the difference between working a home based job and a home career.  Many of us didn’t know that there was a difference.  In the beginning, I know I did not.  So it is best that this is explained to you now so that you understand.

Sometimes people get confused by the terms work at home job and business opportunity. They are generally two different ways to work at home. Some people think they are interchangeable, but they really each have their own characteristics.

HOME JOB
A work at home job is much like a job outside the home. You will be EMPLOYED by a company. You will have a Manager to report to and will be given work and often have a schedule to follow that is set by the company.  While most work at home jobs do not hire on people as employees, they are still basically working in the role of an employee.  Most work at home positions are as an independent contractor, which basically means the company does not withhold taxes and do not have to guarantee work for the person.  Most companies will pay you as W-2 employee and will pay either per minute, hourly, salary, commission or base by.  It varies by each company.

Many of these companies have tedious hiring processes.  They will have many applicants to compete with as there are not that many companies that hire employees to work from home.  These companies most likely will complete a background check and require a headset, landline, printer/fax/copier, no distractions and so forth.  Most times you will have to purchase these things to be able to start. Some companies will reimburse you for these, some will not.  If you have children, you may still need daycare or a babysitter because you cannot have any background noises or distractions for most of the positions companies offer.   With a work from home job, there is still no security and no freedom.  You can be fired or laid off at anytime.  And worst of all, with a work at home job and a traditional job; you are trading your valuable time for money.  (Find out more about work from home jobs by contacting a well known company that specializes in placing people in legitimate jobs from home: Blessed 2 Be Home. You can send them an email and get a current listing of hiring companies)

HOME BUSINESS
A home business is like any other business.  The person is generally responsible for every aspect of the business from customers to products to administration.  A home business owner can work with a company and sell their goods or offer their services, so they do not have to worry about products and in some cases orders.  They are Independent Contractors and issued 1099s instead of W-2s.  This shows the IRS that they are not employees and are able to receive all the tax cuts that regular business owners receive.  This means that you would be able to write off your mortgage/rent, phone bill, cell phone bill, gas, electric, car mileage, printer ink, internet, computer usage, and so much more.  However, the main point to a home business is that you are not given work to do. You are responsible for managing your business.  You will not have a boss to report to, quotas to meet, or a set schedule to work.  Most companies that you start a home business with will send you a commission check daily, weekly, and/or monthly, but if you are not working with a company and it’s your own company then you’d handle your own pay. When you are your own boss, you are in control of the income that you make.  You can give yourself a raise when you want too!  You have the ability to build a lifetime income through residual commissions (which means you get paid over and over off of something you did once—you will not get this perk with a job from home!).  A tax-deductible monetary investment is normally required some as low as $50 and often a low monthly tax-deductible overhead cost to maintain what the company provides to you to use to operate your own business.

HOME JOB OR HOME BUSINESS
The two terms, work at home job and home business, are often a cause for someone to get wrapped up in a work at home opportunity they do not understand. Many people mistake a home business for a work at home job and are disappointed they have to handle so much work or that they are not guaranteed paychecks on a steady basis. Others get a work at home job and are not happy at having someone give them work to do and a set schedule. That is why it is important for anyone wanting to work at home to understand the difference between the two.

I hope you enjoy all of the information provided in posting.  I know that I enjoy sharing it.   By the way, I LOVE receiving feedback from each and everyone of you… so please DO NOT be shy!  Leave a comment below & SHARE this information with your friends by clicking the links below the post to share on Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, and so forth.

To Your Development In Any Career You Pursue…

Blessings,