When you're applying for a job, most companies will use a telephone interview as one of the first stages of the recruitment process. Phone interviews can seem daunting at first, as they can feel less personal compared to meeting someone in person, but it's important to remember that it's just a conversation.

So how do you impress and stand out from the crowd over the phone? As someone who has been on both sides of the recruitment process for digital marketing agency TopLine Comms, here are some tips on how to completely smash your next phone interview.

Research the company and who will be interviewing you

This one is very important. Make sure you've checked out the company website thoroughly before the phone interview and the person who will be interviewing you (it's totally OK if they see that you've looked at their LinkedIn profile). You want to be 100% sure what the company does and where your potential new role fits in. It's also a good idea to check if the person has written any interesting blogs that you can throw into the conversation and impress with.

How to answer the age-old "why do you want to work for us?"

You're pretty much guaranteed to be this question and the best answers always specifically link back to the company that you're interviewing with. This is your chance to show that you really want this job and not just any old job. 

Talk about what the company has done that impressed you, including any client case studies that really stand out. You can also mention how you see yourself fitting in with their core values ​​and culture (information or which is normally on the website) and give examples of how you meet these criteria. For example, if one of their core values ​​is 'positive' then tell your interviewer how you could bring positivity to the company.

How to keep calm just before the phone rings

Before the phone rings, make sure you have a copy of your resume in front of you, including some bullet points about several experiences that you could talk about where you have shown soft skills like teamwork and dedication. 

Also, make sure you know who is calling who before the day of the call. Are they phoning you or do you need to phone them? If you need to phone them, make sure you call on time. If they're calling you, set yourself up at least 10 minutes before and have your phone ready in case they phone slightly earlier.

If you're super nervous, keep taking deep breaths to stay calm, and repeat a mantra in your head like 'I can do this', because you definitely can! Remember that it's just a conversation and your chance to find out more about the company and role to see if you really want to work there.

If you've got a phone interview lined up - good luck! And if you don't have one just yet, follow the rules above when you do you'll be all set.

Jodie is a Comms Consultant at TopLine Comms, a digital marketing agency in London. She works across a range of STEM based clients, especially in the science and engineering sectors. Jodie graduated in Biomedical Science from the University of Kent in 2016.