Proper Phone Interview Etiquette
Posted in Phone Interviews
A phone interview is usually the initial means of contact between a prospective employee and the job applicant. How a job applicant is able to conduct or handle a phone interview can determine if an employer may have further interest enough to consider a more formal face to face interview.
Here are some tips that may help job applicants be more able to show good phone interview etiquette to ensure better chances of getting hired.
Practice Helps
A lot of people think that a phone interview is similar to the formal one. But phone interviews can really be different in the sense that the person on the other side of the line would determine an applicant usually by the tone of voice and manner of speaking. And in order to improve this, a job applicant can try and develop a better and clear voice while speaking on the phone. This can be done through practice.
An applicant can have a friend act as the job interviewer on the other side of the phone and try to simulate an actual phone interview to discover certain things that may need to be improved to develop better phone skills.
Good Phone Etiquette
Practicing the basic phone etiquette can also score points for job applicants during phone interviews. There are some common phone etiquette that one should bear in mind. Some of them are:
Don't eat, drink, smoke or chew gum during a phone interview. This can become a distraction on the other side of the phone line. Not only can it interfere with voice clarity but the interviewer may look on the job applicant as not taking the phone interview too seriously. A glass of water set aside just in case won't do any harm. Saying "excuse me" if a drink of water is needed is good etiquette.
Speak slowly and clearly. This will help extend clear communication between two parties over the phone. Speaking too fast not only can make things difficult for the phone interviewer to understand what the applicant is saying. It can also indicate that the job applicant may be stressed or may not be comfortable when under certain amounts of pressure. Speaking calmly and clearly can help show a certain level of poise that some interviewers might be looking for in job applicants.
Avoid cutting and interrupting the interviewer. This can be considered as rude on the part of the job applicant. Give the interviewer some time to speak and reply only when he or she has finished speaking.
Think before speaking. Every answer should be carefully thought of. It is perfectly okay to spend a moment to think about what the interviewer asks and provide a good answer. Speaking in haste can easily create mistakes that one may regret later on.
Things to Consider When Picking a Broker:
Picking the right broker can help investors become more successful. Considering that brokers may provide investment advice or just handle trading transactions is up to the investor to decide. But there are also a lot of other things to look to when trying to determine the right broker for ones needs. This usually covers what the brokers require and what they offer to clients.
Minimum Balances
Different brokers offer a different minimum when it comes to starting a brokerage account. There are some brokers with minimums that some small time beginner investors cannot afford to maintain for the long term. Knowing the minimum balance that a broker requires can be a good starting point when picking the right broker.
Fee Structures
Although most brokers follow a relatively similar fee schedule, there are others that may be using complicated fee structures that some investor clients may find hard to comprehend. Such complex structures may be inundated with a lot of hidden fees which can add up to the overall markup. Fee structures is also a factor that investors should look into when picking the right broker.
Withdrawal Options
Most investors may not be thinking about this when trying to start up an initial account for a certain broker. But inquiring about certain withdrawal issues may help avoid getting into some complications and added costs later on. There are other brokers out there that can make it hard for investors to withdraw out of certain accounts.
Some brokers employ hefty charges and penalty fees for early account withdrawals. Some may not even allow account owners to withdraw if the balance falls below the minimum. Investors should try to inquire about how certain brokers handle certain withdrawal concerns. This might help clear up some things and may be the deciding factor when it comes to picking the right broker for the job.
Investment Styles
There are brokers that follow a certain investment and trading style. It is important that this should be similar to the style that the investor employs. Contrasting styles make for conflicting way in trading and investing. This would not be a good pick for any investor. A broker and the investor should at least have something in common in order to work well together.
