Usually conducted after resume screening in a typical hiring process, the phone interview is a sort of “feeling out” phase for both candidates and potential employers.

A phone interview is used by employers to take a closer look at potential employees and to make sure that they are generally a good fit for the open position. As the applicant, you need to do your best to present yourself as a promising prospect. Below are ten tips and how you can impress a hiring manager in your next phone interview.

1) Confirm Any Details Ahead of Time

Before the interview itself, it’s crucial to confirm the date, time, and any other crucial details. Write down the details on a piece of paper and set an alert on your smartphone. Also, schedule some time for a bit of interview rehearsal.

2) Research the Job, Company and Industry

You aren’t expected to know the company, the job, and the industry top to bottom in a phone interview, but you’ll want to avoid putting your foot in your mouth.

Do some basic research and jot down a few key bullet points that you can commit to memory.

3) Know Your Interviewer

If possible, look up your interviewer on LinkedIn and social media. Try to get a sense of their position within the company and their personality. Avoid getting too personal in your research, as getting personal in a phone interview can seem creepy.

4) Learn the Job Description

The conversation in a phone interview usually revolves around the job description. Make sure you know it front to back and top to bottom.

5) Smile When You Talk

It might sound silly, but people can actually hear if you’re smiling when you talk. Smiling as you talk during a phone interview has the effect of making you sound positive and upbeat — two things you definitely want to convey.

6) Have Any Deal Breakers in Mind

For the company, the main point of conducting phone interviews is to make sure the candidate is a good fit for the position. Your responsibility in this regard is to have any dealbreakers in mind before the interview. For instance, if you don’t know what the salary range is, you need to find out and let the interviewer know if the salary range is too low for you.

7) Make Sure You Charge Your Phone and Relevant Devices Before the Interview

This is pretty self-explanatory.

8) Have Copies of Your Documents Ready

Because your interviewer will want to focus the conversation on your application documents, it’s a good idea to have these ready, either as printed copies or on a computer screen in front of you.

9) Have Key Points

In a phone interview, it’s important to highlight your strengths and fit for the job opening. Write down a few bullet points that will help you make your key points.

10) Have a Real Conversation

Keeping all this advice in your mind can make you start to overthink this situation and become robotic. At the end of the day, it’s still important to have a real conversation and “be yourself”.

We Can Prepare You for Your Next Phone Interview

At ZDA, we regularly help job seekers prepare for phone interviews with our clients. Please contact us today to learn about this valuable support.