201 — Phone interview — call me on my cellphone
You are a person. There is no denying that. The recruiters typically do not see that and it is not hard to see why. Deal with 10 applicants a day, combine some disappointment, minimal emotional investment and the ability to rinse and repeat every day of the week — you would gain a new super power — apathy.
So you have to humanize yourself. Its easy — watch this
- I grew up in <Adjective> <Place>
- I loved watching <Sports> and am a die hard <Fan>
Take an example — A good one
I grew up in Sunny California
I loved watching basketball as a kid and am a die hard Warriors fan!
You are connecting on so many levels here — Location / Sport / Team
Here’s a shitty example —
I am interviewing for the role that you have open. I think I’ll be great at it. I like this company very much.
That’s a surefire way of coming across as robotic and dishonest. So don’t do it.
Remember to cast your net as wide as possible. Experiment and look for a reaction — if its easy to find one, engage with the voice at the other end of the phone. Phone interviews do not have to be routine robotic affairs. You are not a robot — do not come across as one.
Basically you have to figure out how to not sound like a total psychopath while not coming across as boring.
I will caution though — its a fine path that you have to walk -
Now thats enough about you. Lets talk about the job at hand. The job at hand is what you are interested in — it is what you care the most about. You have a vision for what this job looks like — and the vision is of you. Convince the recruiter, its a hard sell to tell them why the company and the role are just what you were born, trained and designed to do. You are Batman and the Lazarus pits honed you to do this. This company is mother-fuckin’ Gotham and you are the Product Manager it needs/deserves.
Conclude the phone interview with the clear expectation that you are interested. Don’t be wishy washy, make it crystal clear that you are interested.
