Phone interview with tmobile... Help!

[Ikith]

So I've been looking for a job and I finally have a hit from tmobile which is a phone interview. I've never done this before and have previously sucked at interviews in general so I have no clue what to expect at all. I want this job (Actually I want any job to be honest). What should I expect? I need any help that anyone can offer.

Thanks.

[The Stig]

Quiet room, no distractions, everything off.

My last phone interview was absolutely no chatter, it was the guy on the other hand asking me a question, I answer, he writes/types it all down. It'll depend on the "style".

Since you're not face to face with the guy you would probably be asked more direction questions, i.e. what will you do in this situation

[Folant]

Sit naked too, make you feel more comfortable.

[Tyche]

2 shots of jack and coke to loosen up. You want to be cognizant, but not tense.

[Devolver]

2 shots of jack and coke to loosen up. You want to be cognizant, but not tense.

This really. No need to be stuttering and all uptight and shit. Use the privacy to your advantage.

[Cephius]

Depends on who is giving the interview I guess. If it's some guy who's just collecting information to be passed on to someone else, just answer his questions straight up. If it's actually someone who will decide whether to hire you or not, try to small chat a little bit or have a conversation so you stand out as a candidate (but don't ignore his questions, either)

[Ikith]

Depends on who is giving the interview I guess. If it's some guy who's just collecting information to be passed on to someone else, just answer his questions straight up. If it's actually someone who will decide whether to hire you or not, try to small chat a little bit or have a conversation so you stand out as a candidate (but don't ignore his questions, either)

I have no clue to be honest.

[The Stig]

I have no clue to be honest.

Then you'll have to improvise very quickly the moment you sense that he's actually up for a chat or he's just a "bot" collecting information.

[Monkor]

Dressing up and smiling while you're on the phone can help. Honest, some people can pick up on that shit.

[Ikith]

Then you'll have to improvise very quickly the moment you sense that he's actually up for a chat or he's just a "bot" collecting information.

How will I be able to tell... I want to know this quickly as it can obviously be a game changer.

[Cephius]

How will I be able to tell... I want to know this quickly as it can obviously be a game changer.

You could, you know, just ask

[The Stig]

You could, you know, just ask

Asking should be "ok" but I'd feel awkward to ask personally.

As Monkor said, actually smiling and hand signaling (even though he's on the phone) works really well too. I personally have good phone manners/skills and I do that with all my users (althought the moment the line is cut I go in some sort of rage to my colleagues).

To detect if the dude is gonna be "ask + listen" or "ask + chat" type after a couple of questions, if he expands on the stuff you said and follows them up with additional questions that appear irrelevant, then it's a chatty one. If he's just to collect info, he would not ask any further questions.

i.e. assuming an animal job

(after you answer his question of what animal you own at home)
interviewer > "what type is your pussy"
you > "I have a siamese one"

Fork 1
interviewer > (moving on) "what do you do if your pussy wants attention"

Fork 2
interviewer > (sounding more human) "ohh i have one of those, what's your one called?"

And let it ride from there.

Granted, if this is a T-Mobile job, then it'll likely be technology based, know your stuff/the market/types of phones/technologies associated with a mobile (cell) phone operator. Know the company as well, i.e. recently landmarks in achievements and stuff.

[Aerides]

Have a mirror on the desk in front of you, and talk to yourself. Look the way you'd want to look if you were sitting across from the interviewer. Smile, express, etc., as you would in person. This WILL come across on the phone.

Have a couple of notes handy of "key" information, situations, or experience you want to convey.

Don't say "like" or "um".

When you need to stall to rack your brains, feel free to ask them to repeat, or restate the question yourself to make sure you've got it right or heard it correctly.

[Ikith]

Have a mirror on the desk in front of you, and talk to yourself. Look the way you'd want to look if you were sitting across from the interviewer. Smile, express, etc., as you would in person. This WILL come across on the phone.

Have a couple of notes handy of "key" information, situations, or experience you want to convey.

Don't say "like" or "um".

When you need to stall to rack your brains, feel free to ask them to repeat, or restate the question yourself to make sure you've got it right or heard it correctly.

I was thinking of this because usually I choke on those "What is a hard problem you had to solve in your line of work/school" and now that I think about it I still cannot think of any. I usually think of something lame on the spot type thing like why the network in my house wasn't working and I had to troubleshoot it etc. Then when I look back after the interview I realize that wasn't a good answer at all. I'm really stuck now .

[The Stig]

I was thinking of this because usually I choke on those "What is a hard problem you had to solve in your line of work/school" and now that I think about it I still cannot think of any. I usually think of something lame on the spot type thing like why the network in my house wasn't working and I had to troubleshoot it etc. Then when I look back after the interview I realize that wasn't a good answer at all. I'm really stuck now .

You are now thinking too much. They are not asking about saving the world, just a problem that seems difficult to you, not them. It may sound simple for them of course, but they do not care what the solution is, but it's how you got to the solution.

Fixing the network in the house is really quite good, you can go on a large number of things. Instead of just simply saying "turned it off and on" you just need to blag and expand it a bit, for example:

1. You checked the cables
2. You checked the network card
3. You tried with numerous devices
4. You identified that some devices work some don't
5. You rang up a 3rd party (ISP/phone company) to confirm if everything is ok
6. You checked the software and/or if anything is conflicting with it

If you can go on with examples from a previous work experience, that would be even better. But if not, try to give examples of things outside your immediate comfort zone (home). Even a "friend" or work colleague is good here, or "volunteer work" (where you self-advertise to fix people's IT problems)

I agree Aerides. Words like (lol can't avoid it here) "like" is what I use these days to determine one's intelligence nowadays. People overuse this word for everything they gradually break down into some bullshit sentence that you really want to get away from, fast.

[OctavoGilgamesh]

A phone interview is really just another method of screening candidates. They have already selected you from the group of resumes they have on hand for the job, so now your foot is in the door. Their goal is to find out if you lied or exaggerated on your resume as well as fill in some blanks in information relevant to the posistion to make sure they are not wasting their time bringing you in for a full interview.

Be honest, be relaxed and be focused. Go over your resume ahead of time and make sure you are ready to elaborate on any part of it. Another thing to study up on is any part of the job requirements that you may be fuzzy on.

Good luck.

[Tyche]

I still think booze is the way to go here kid.

edit: no, I'm not trolling.

[Ikith]

What is odd is I just went over the qualifications again and I don't meet one of them which is:
"Six months to one year Customer Service experience"

I do go a bit beyond some of the other qualifications and the other two I just meet nothing more nothing less.

I would love the job but now I just don't know.

[Khamsin]

Quiet room, no distractions, everything off.

My last phone interview was absolutely no chatter, it was the guy on the other hand asking me a question, I answer, he writes/types it all down. It'll depend on the "style".

Since you're not face to face with the guy you would probably be asked more direction questions, i.e. what will you do in this situation

My last phone interview was while I was camping. The bacon was frying on the camp stove during the interview, and I told them so. It was very casual, and included my future project manager, the HR manager, and the CEO. At the end they asked if I could fill out a questionnaire they emailed me to send back to them, and I asked if it would impress them if I scratched it onto some bark and gave it to them. They said yes, but I said I'd probably wait until I got back to civilization before I filled it out and emailed it back.

I got the job though.

Depends on what kind of people you're talking to. Don't expect it to be any one way, just go with the flow and adapt as needed. Start off serious, but if they get casual with you, then you can loosen up a bit yourself.

What is odd is I just went over the qualifications again and I don't meet one of them which is:
"Six months to one year Customer Service experience"

I do go a bit beyond some of the other qualifications and the other two I just meet nothing more nothing less.

I would love the job but now I just don't know.

Do you have any customer service experience (but just not a full six months)? Or none at all?

If you have like 3 months customer service experience, that's probably fine. If you have none, and have no clue how to deal with people, that might be an issue.

[Powerade]

I was thinking of this because usually I choke on those "What is a hard problem you had to solve in your line of work/school" and now that I think about it I still cannot think of any. I usually think of something lame on the spot type thing like why the network in my house wasn't working and I had to troubleshoot it etc. Then when I look back after the interview I realize that wasn't a good answer at all. I'm really stuck now .

Try and write down some points for questions you can see them asking them. And bullshit, exagerate and make yourself seem like a legend. Make the most of the fact it's down the phone and you can have stuff written in front of you.

And a shot of whiskey ;o