Phone interviews are often misread as being an easy alternative or substitute for a face-to-face interview. The argument can go both ways, but regardless they should not be underestimated for the significance they can have in your job search. Here are a few things you can do to step your game up on phone interviews:

• A mistake I made the first few times was trying to conduct the interview from my cell phone. Often times this is the only phone line college students have, and it seems like a natural decision. Do yourself a favor and find a land line to use for the interview. The service is far clearer and therefore one less distraction or thing to worry about in the moment. Try asking CSPD or a mentor or professor you have a close relationship with if you could borrow their office for 30-60 minutes. Tell them what it is for, they should be understanding.
• You obviously don’t need to worry about dress during a phone interview as much as you would with a face to face. However, often times I would still dress up in at least business casual or a tie to help get into the mental state. I’m not saying you need to suit up (although it might not hurt), but you would be surprised how much more focused and confident you will feel when dressed for the part.
• Bring the right tools. Just like a normal interview, you need to have all the right materials. Be sure to have a copy of your resume, a notepad and 2 pens for note taking and a list of typed questions for the interviewer. You might want to print out some high-level facts about the company in case they ask what you know about the company.
• An easy mistake to make is to not record the interviewer’s name. It is often the first thing said and is in one ear and out the other. Before you even dial the phone number, write on the top of your notes “NAME:________” and be ready to write it down. If you don’t get it at the beginning it is often hard to capture later on. At the end, you will want to ask for their email address as well so that you can follow up with a thank you for their time.
• Always have questions. For any type of interview this is crucial, but awkward silence over the phone seems to last about 10 times as long, so don’t get caught empty handed.
• Be confident. Sit up straight and project your voice. It is harder to express yourself and personality over the phone rather than in person, but it is not impossible. Avoid going too over the top but don’t sound like a monotone rock either. Sound excited about having the opportunity - the enthusiasm and sense of professionalism will let them know you want the job.
• Take notes so you can reference them throughout the interview if necessary, but also to reference for later interviews or in follow up thank you letters.

Throughout my four years at Temple I’ve accumulated a few hundred business cards, and most anyone that knows me has seen, borrowed, or utilized my binder stash collection. Collecting business cards must be done with tact. When you meet someone, you can’t just walk up and request their business card. You need to give them a reason to want you to have their business card.  Begin my building some type of relationship. Introduce yourself and let them know if you are interested in something they are offering - a job, a product, a contact, a mentor, a friend. Ask about them - their position, location, experience, history, alma mater - anything to get them talking and build conversation around. Be sure that when you finally ask for the business card, let them know why you are asking for it, whether it be to follow up about an interview or to involve them in a speaker presentation for the organization you’re an officer of. After you leave the interaction, write down on the back of the card the date, time, and place that you met this person for later reference. Later that day, if the contact is someone valuable, email them and let them know you enjoyed the conversation you had. You may want to reference some part of the conversation to both remind them who you are and let them know you were engaged.  If your relationship is stretched over a period of time, reach out to this person every once in awhile to maintain the relationship you developed. Let them know skill sets you’ve built since the last time you talked or significant activity in your professional development.  And what about giving out your business cards? This is a grey, situation-by-situation topic. My recommendation is try to collect more than you give out. I think it is great to have business cards with your contact information on it, but there aren’t too many reasons a recruiter needs one. All the information they need about you is on your resume. Business cards are great for giving to colleagues and peers and to help build your brand, but it is not recommended to pass them to recruiters unless they specifically ask to see one or have one. Get some, and take them to conferences or speed networking sessions, but at job fairs don’t be too free with them. You are better off passing your resume around.

Whether it be a networking session, an information session, a dinner or cocktail hour, something formal or un-formal - it doesn’t matter, you need to be there. From the internships I’ve had and job I’m in, I’ve talked to recruiters and know the importance of this interaction touch point. If you don’t yet have an interview scheduled, this is the perfect time to meet the recruiters and people that will be interviewing you. Get on their good side. Let them hear your career interests and experience. Get them a copy of your resume. Let them know that you want their job. I know these events don’t always fall on the most opportune times, but you need to understand that they are committing their time as well. You need to sacrifice and prioritize your schedule to make these events, because there is no doubt they are keeping track of who they see. If for some reason you absolutely can’t make an event, reach out to the appropriate resource and explain why you could not and that you are still very interested in speaking with them and learning about their opportunities. This is a huge step in getting your name and resume into their heads and hands.

I fully understand what life is like on the often minimal budget of a college student. Furthermore, I know that for most of us, spending a significant amount of money on dress shoes does not seem too appealing. Trust me on this one, you are doing yourself a disservice but not suiting up with the proper footwear. As a sophomore, I saved for about a month to buy a pair of dress shoes for about $300. They are black Johnston & Murphy shoes that I got with the Temple discount at Jos Banks in center city. Even my parents almost fainted when they found out, but these shoes are still supporting my professional endeavors nearly 3 years later. When kept polished, they are the perfect blend of professional and sharp. They are not overwhelming. Most importantly though, they make me look like I could be doing a job 3 levels higher than the one I’m applying for. They instill confidence that helps shine through in interviews and business interactions. Whether the interviewer notices your nice kicks or not, it is something you know you will not need to worry about and can only help you. And yes - I have talked to plenty of recruiters that will not hire you if your shoes are scuffed. Shine your shoes before every single interaction.