Phone interview in Italian: how to

Do you need to do a phone interview in Italian, and you don’t know where to start? Read this article!

Phone interview is becoming more and more the initial step for recruiting candidates. They are mainly used to narrow down the list of applicants who will be invited for the final step of the job interview which will be conducted personally. Sometimes, phone interviews may also be straight up the final step.

They are generally held to accomodate candidates that are out of town, minimizing possible expenses involving the interview process.

What is a phone interview?

A phone interview is basically a job interview only through the phone.

It is usually a scheduled phone call that might last from 30 to 60 minutes during which the employer will be asking specific questions, costum tailored ones to evaluate your compatibility with the position/employment at stake and see how well you’d work for your future team.

Phone interviews are usually supervised directly by the hiring manager but this is not always the case, as a matter of fact, you might also be interviewed by a recruiter or an HR (Human Resource). It actually depends on the company but, in any case, you should always take your interview seriously wether you’re talking to a recruiter or to an HR.

A well conducted phone interview can create career opportunities, therefore always come and be prepared.

Differences between phone screening and phone interview?

More often people confuse the two things. It is quite known that both are managed through a phone call and that they might have similar purposes but the main difference is that, phone screenings are usually held to have a first impression of the candidate, to see wether they are suitable for the position or not. In this process, the recruiter might simply ask qualification questions and you might be discussing informations about the employment as well, meanwhile the phone interview will be an in-depth interview which will include behavioral and more detailed questions about your past work experiences.

Another main differences are the time limit of the job interview and the interviewer per se. Generally, a phone screening lasts less than 30 minutes and is led by a recruiter or an HR, while the phone interview can also take up to an hour and it is led directly by the hiring manager.

Phone interview in italian

If you are looking for a possible employment in Milan, or getting ready to your first phone interview in italian but are not quite sure of your language level, don’t worry because our school – Italiano A Portata Di Mano – can easily solve and help you with your problem.

With our school, you can easily hold your phone interview in italian without having to worry about the outcome.

IAPDM (Italiano A Portata di Mano) provides a variety of italian courses that could help you improve your language skills. Thanks to our innovative system of teaching: the Experiential Course, learning italian language will be quicker and more efficient. By studying the language both indoors (inside a coworking space where you will be able to talk not only with your classmates and teachers but with locals as well) and outdoors (where you are going to practice what you’ve learned), you will acknowledge new experiences and competences.

In my personal opinion, living the culture first hand will only refine your italian skills more and fasten your learning process.

Italiano A Portata Di Mano will be dealing different topics, including the perfect way to handle a phone interview in italian. If you need and desire, we can also help you rehearse in class. We will help you prepare your presentation and we will review your answers to any possible questions they might ask you.

To give you some headups on how to conduct a successful phone interview in italian, here are some basic guidelines to follow while you’re waiting for that call:

1. Research

Make a thorough research about the company or the employer. The more you know the better chance you’ll have to impress the hiring manager or the recruiter. Researching allows you to tailor your answers, by doing so you maximize and ensure your oppotunities to be considered as a perfect candidate for the offered employment.

2. Be prepared

Be ready to make an impeccable presentation of yourself, enlist your strengths and weaknesses and be prepared to answer to their job and company related questions and to ask them back as well. Expressing interest and excitement in the opportunity can only leave a positive impression. Furthermore make sure that your phone is charged and that you have a clear signal.

3. Practice interviewing

Phone interview isn’t as easy as it seems and you should be as professional as your in-person interview. Practice can be helpful to realize if you have some adjustments to make in order to sound more appealing for the recruiters.

4. Body language and tone of voice

Eventhough your recruiters can’t see you, you are still able to pass on a positive impression of yourself by paying attention to your body language. For instance, make sure to sit up straight or simply stand up, this will keep you alert and focus on the interviewer. Don’t forget to smile, it’ll make you sound more upbeat and engaged.

Since this type of job interview is mainly led through the phone, body language is missing in the communication, therefore you have to rely only on your language competence, the tone and the register of your voice and the ability to understand even the “speaking silence”.

To wrap up, after the phone interview, make sure to write a thank you letter. Thank you the recruiter for the time and for considering you as a possible candidate. Remember to reiterate your strengths and your interests for the job.

Speaking, listening, and understanding are of absolute importance in a phone interview and Italian competence is the key to do that with Italian candidates. 

Learn italian language by living the italian culture! Prepare yourself to have fun while making mistakes because your italian journey awaits!

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