Hi folks! I am new to interviewing. Any tips on how to prepare for an initial phone interview with a recruiter for a position I applied for? What kind of questions should I be expecting? Thanks !

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I interview people almost weekly - the above advice is good. A couple things to add
1) be prepared to drive the conversation...I can’t stress this enough. This is a key skill in consulting so a lot of times when interviewing, even though I’m very talkative, I’ll be a little shy to see how the candidate handles it.
2) know what experiences and stories you want to tell - a lot of times you can drive whatever question they ask to those stories. Also, if they ask a question that you genuinely can’t answer, it’s always better to offer to tell something kind of similar or beneficial than just being silent.
3) prepare for the beginning transition of the convo. Most will start with “nice to meet you!”...then “does this time still work? (Phone)” or “how the day going?”....ideally, be ready to answer and transition into something (being excited to be there...talking about who you have met with...thanking them for taking tome out of their day and mentioning how you heard about the opportunity).
4) Keep track of who you talk to. A lot of times I’ll ask “so, who have you met with?” I’m always impressed when someone can casually and genuinely say “I met with John and then Susan and mark and we talked about the company and some finance trends...” for example. Even if not asked, if you can make references or time things together, that’s great.
5) Be honest. If you genuinely don’t know an answer or have an example - just say so. I will always choose confident and honest over rambling.

Remember, great interviews feel like conversations - so be prepared to have a good convo. Also, keep in mind, a lot of times the actual interviewers themselves are nervous or uncomfortable! If you can help take charge (not aggressively) that will help a lot.
At the end of the day, even though I work in technology and digital, I still look to hire people that are likable and worth spending 8 hours a day around than resume bullets.
This help?

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Drive the conversation. Ask questions about the job, projects, and how your past experience may potentially align. Shows that you’re really interested and have taken the time to think through.

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Know the company and their culture, know what they do, why you want to work there, and how your background fits the position. Be expected to talk a great deal on your previous experience and how to best answer behavioral questions.

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They’ll usually ask “tell me about a time when x.” Usually about a difficult client/project/team. Talk about what YOU did to overcome that scenario. They basically want to see your thought process to address problems. Also, practice out loud and hear your own train of thought.

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Tell me about yourself is likely the first thing they’ll say. Rehearse this, even record yourself saying it to see how you sound.

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CA1, I know your intention - I was asking so that I could give you specific feedback. You’re right - everyone has weaknesses - the key is explaining how you cope. And also not sounding defense about it during the interview.
I would explain confidently that multitasking is a weakness - that you wish you could do 4 things at once - but that you realize your max is two. Sometimes just one.
I also have this issue - so I would probably joke (although it’s true) - that I don’t allow myself to have more than one browser open at a time or more than two tabs. I also put my phone away when reviewing a presentation - and then allow myself to step away from my desk to walk around and check my phone every hour or so.
Anyway, this is a good weakness to point out bc a lot of people will probably sympathize and it gives you a good opportunity to show some creative solutions.

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Straight out of school - and my current job is the first one I had ever interviewed for.

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Thanks, C1. 🤗

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Keep in mind this is an interview with a recruiter. The tell me about a time questions are likely to be limited if at all present. "Walk me through your resume" is likely - please keep this relatively short (2-3min). Think about the types of skills this job looks for and indirectly (or directly) point them out in your story. Know why the company, why this role, why you want to leave your current role, maybe what you plan to do in 5 years, what your strengths / weaknesses are and what you bring to the table (variation: how would your friends/managers describe you). Have insightful questions that cant be looked up via glassdoor or a 30 second Google search. Do research on the company, understand what they do and how, what the competitive landscape looks like and how they are different, and think about the types of areas that you would be involved in if you joined, or what their short term strategic priorities are (also a question for recruiter). Etc.

helpful

Jumping on, thanks OP :) what are typical behavioral questions asked these days? Do interviewers still ask for strengths and weaknesses?

Accenture 2, any advice on the weaknesses question? I struggle to answer that question till this day.

Well, genuinely, what are two of your biggest weaknesses?

A2- why do you need to interview weekly? Should we be skeptical of your advice given your inferred track record?

A3, A2 said they interview (other) people, not that they themselves interview.

A2, I am not very good at multitasking. I need to finish one (assuming I do not need to depend on anyone else), before I can start another task. My cognitive max is 2 tasks at once. I also have difficulty focusing for long periods of time. I wasn't very good at studying bc I get distracted.

The list goes on, everybody has weaknesses. My purpose for asking the question was, how do I avoid shooting myself in the foot during the interview with my answers.

That’s fine listing that as a weakness, you just have to be creative in how you mitigate that weakness. For instance, if you can only focus on one task, maybe you keep a running list of tasks to finish after that one to be efficient.

A2, that was very helpful. I am gonna run with that and think about it in more detail. Thank you! You a real one!

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