Au contraire, mon ami. A phone interview should be taken just as seriously as its face-to-face counterpart. After all, the goal of an interview via phone—in most cases—is to secure a traditional interview. Consider the phone interview as a necessary step in the interviewing process, something to be approached with a high degree of both preparation and professionalism.

Preparation

Preparing is akin to researching. Research the hospital/clinic you’re interviewing with and know how you will be an asset to that facility. Not only will this allow you to ask well-educated questions throughout the interview process, the interviewer will be able to cover more specific areas of interest if you are already briefed on the general facts. Have your resume nearby as a reference; chances are your interviewer has it in front of them and will be asking questions about it. In addition, jot down a list of your strengths and weaknesses; employers love to ask these slightly predictable questions. Use that to your advantage and be ready with solid answers. Also, don’t be hesitant to practice a mock phone interview with a friend or family member ahead of time. Sure, you might feel slightly ridiculous, but the confidence and phone communication skills you’ll gain in the process is worth the momentary feeling of silliness.

Professionalism

Equally as important as preparation, approaching a phone interview with an air of professionalism is crucial. Clear the family pet and darling children from the room; you don’t need any distractions and either does your potential employer. Chewing gum or eating food also counts as an unnecessary distraction. Of course, it’s not a bad idea to have a glass of water nearby in case your mouth gets dry. Also, most people find that standing versus sitting helps achieve a more assertive tone; smiling also improves the quality/sound of your voice. When addressing your interviewer, make sure to address them with the correct title; avoid first names unless you are specifically told otherwise by the employer. When answering, use simple/concise answers. And remember, if you need a moment to think before answering then take it. You’d rather formulate a response that sounds collected and competent after a moment’s break than an immediate response that’s wondering and unsure.

Through proper attention to preparation and professionalism, your phone interview can lead to a face-to-face interview or even a job. So, while you don’t technically have to worry about double pressing your pants, you might want to get them ready just in case.

Are you posting resumes all over the physician job bards, and can’t understand why you’re not getting interviews?

Have you sent resumes to all of the doctors and hospitals you know personally – and not getting responses?

Take 5 minutes and a few easy steps to improve your search for a physician job!

1. Open your resume. Where is the contact information? Is it at the top of the page where it can be found easily? Your contact information should be included on your resume (not just on the cover letter) and should be very easy to find. It needs to include your phone number and email address.
2. Check the email address on your resume. Is it correct? Is it an email you check at least once a day, if not more often? Many of your potential employers are busy physicians themselves. One of the easiest ways for them to contact another doctor about a job is through email. If you are not in the habit of checking your email every day, get in the habit – at least until you find a job.
3. Check the phone number on your resume. Who will be answering that number? This is the number one mistake we see doctors make in their job search. Is the phone number correct? Is it a number that you can actually be reached on? When you leave your number on your resume, be sure you are not making these common mistakes:
   • Don’t leave your home number if your 93 year-old grandmother who barely speaks English is the person who is most likely to answer the phone during the day.
   • Don’t leave your office number if you don’t want your current employer to know you’re looking for a job.
   • Don’t leave the general number to the hospital that will the caller feeling foolish because they don’t know your personal extension.
   • Don’t leave a number that you’re only available on 1-2 hours out of the day. The goal is to make it EASY for a potential employer to call and offer you a job.
4. Check the voice mail on the number you have on your resume. Is your voice mail set up? Is it full? If a potential employer calls you and is unable to speak to you, they will want to leave a message for you to return their call. If they are unable to leave a message, chances are they’ll move on to the next doctor looking for a job. They can’t hire you if they can’t talk to you.

By doing these simple things, it will be easier for other doctors to call and offer you a job. While this advice may seem obvious, all of these are mistakes that we see physicians make on an alarmingly regular basis.

Remember, if an employer can’t reach you – they can’t hire you.