Phone Interview tips

Interviewing for a new job can lead to a wave of emotions: excitement, uncertainty, nervousness, among many others.

At Calendly, we like to make the process as easy as possible for our candidates so that they can focus on putting their best foot forward. To help our candidate feel prepared for their interview, we provide them with an interview guide that offers helpful tips on how to be successful during our interview process and an outline of what you should expect during the hiring process, because we recognize how stressful interviews can be (no one likes surprises when you’re interviewing for your next career move).

Because we are a remote-first company, Calendly’s entire interview process is remote, consisting of phone interviews and video-conference calls. Since our Recruiters know first-hand what a successful phone interview looks like, I sat down with four of them to get some insight into how candidates can prepare and impress in their next interview.

Have an understanding of what you’re looking for in your next role.

“Be prepared to share what's motivating you to look for a new position and some of the things you're looking for in your next role. If a Recruiter has reached out to you and you're not actively job seeking, that's totally fine--we want to understand your needs, motivation and timeline so that we can best partner with you now or in the future.”

Megan Bosch, Recruiter

Don’t be afraid to show your enthusiasm for the role in your interview.

“Candidates that always stand out to me are the ones that are genuinely excited to speak with me, have already started their research on Calendly, and come prepared with their own questions about the role and the company culture. I love getting to know people and I’m so excited when people feel comfortable enough to be themselves, to show their real personalities, and aren’t just going through the motions or have scripted responses ready to go. The calls that really stick with me are the ones where I feel like I got to know the real person behind the resume and share an authentic experience with them.”

Rebecca Scherff, Recruiter

Take the time to do your research on the interviewer and the company.

“I'm always impressed when I can tell someone made a point to research the person that they're interviewing with. A quick search on LinkedIn can give you a better understanding of the interviewer and their background. You can even find ways to connect with the interviewer from things you read on their LinkedIn profile, which can really help you stand out by showing you took the time to research them. Not only should you do that, but I also think it's very important to research the company you're interviewing with and be able to speak to their latest achievements. To me, it shows that you not only care about the success of the company, but you also took the time to prepare for the phone interview.”

Stephanie Ladden, Manager, Technical Recruiting

Use the questions you ask as a way to stand out.

“One of the best ways to stand out as a candidate is to come prepared with thoughtful questions about the company or position you are interviewing for. Most candidates will have some generic questions prepared, such as asking about the next steps in the interview process, but the candidates that really stand out to me are the ones who are prepared each round of the interview process with different, thoughtful and unique questions that show they've clearly done their research about the company or position they are interviewing for.”

Rebecca Trower, Recruiter

Find examples of projects you’ve worked on to highlight the skills that are important to the role.

“I always recommend thinking about the role you're interviewing for and the skills that are needed, and having some examples from your experience that you can draw on in an interview conversation. It could mean being prepared to talk through a couple projects you want to highlight. Or for example if you're interviewing for a customer-facing role, being able to call to mind examples of when you resolved a challenging situation with a customer. Having some of those examples primed in your mind can make you more prepared and confident going into an interview.”

Megan Bosch, Recruiter