Yesterday I read a great article in the careers section of the Wall Street Journal titled The New Trouble on the Line. It warns job seekers that the initial phone call has become a full blown interview rather than the old 10 minute preliminary discussion. Expect it to be more extensive and in-depth. To spend some serious time on the phone being grilled about specifics regarding past responsibilities and job performance. Understand that you probably will be asked technical questions or required to provide metrics regarding your accomplishments.

Frankly, I don’t think this is new. When I reach out to a candidate for the first time, I typically spend around 45 minutes on the phone discussing the resume and getting to know the candidate better. I cover a lot of ground in our conversation. Everything from what’s your ideal position and why do you want to leave your current job to how many other companies are you talking with and what are your compensation expectations.

The initial phone call is really about qualifying candidates for both the position and corporate culture as well as setting some basic ground rules regarding our hiring process. As a recruiter, it’s my job to determine if you are really a good fit (read at least 75% match to the job) before I schedule a round of interviews and have you meet with another six to eight people which will take at least 4 hours onsite. I need to know whether you have the required skills to not only perform the job but to succeed and thrive in our work environment.

So I encourage you to be prepared when your phone rings. Remember which companies and jobs you applied to and what they do. If you’re not ready to talk, don’t be afraid to tell me it’s a bad time and schedule our conversation for a later date. I understand and respect that it’s hard to have a serious conversation while at your current job or if you’re out on your lunch hour with friends. Just remember, phone interviews are called interviews for a reason. Shouldn’t you prep for them just as much as you would an onsite interview?

Curious to hear about the WSJ’s tips for keeping your phone screen on track. Check out the follow up article, More Ways to Ace a Phone Interview.