(First of all, no, I wasn’t looking around for a job and this has nothing to do with the recent news about Microsoft’s 5000 head layoff. Knock on wood. [meager smile!])
I was perusing some of the updated Microsoft blog RSS feeds I get and this article popped up as something rather interesting and yet a little controversial. I thought it would be good food for thought for some… or possibly cannon fodder for others depending on your opinion.
Five ways to fail my phone interview
Posted Tuesday, January 20 2009 by The JobsBloggersUnderstanding that every recruiter conducts initial candidate screens differently, I wanted to share some of the themes that come up with candidates I don’t end up moving forward with. JobsBlog has lots of great tips for ways to improve your phone screen, but here are some things to avoid.
- Be Cognizant of Time – Most phone screens are budgeted for 30-45 minutes, which means there’s an opportunity to cover several topics at a high level or one to two in deep detail. I’ve always felt two minutes should be enough time to give a complete answer about your experience (granted, specific technical problems might take longer to solve). In any case, it makes sense to be aware of how long you take to answer a question. If more depth is needed, a recruiter will not be shy about asking you to expand!
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READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE:
http://microsoftjobsblog.com/blog/fail-my-phone-interview/
Personally I found it interesting because I don’t think the advice is that difficult to follow especially if you prepare adequately however I can see how some things might be difficult for folks that aren’t used to speaking and thinking on their feet in oral engagements like these.
Kurt Shintaku's Blog 