How to Nail the Phone Interview

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After a recruiter or school receives your resume, they will want to schedule a phone interview. (If there is no phone interview, it’s probably not worth pursuing). Besides your resume, the phone interview is what will determine if you get a job. The majority of phone interviews are not a typical job interview, so it’s good to know what to expect.

It Will be Late

Of course, the phone interview will probably be scheduled late at night, from 11 pm – 3 am. The important thing to do is be as available as much as possible. Otherwise the job may fill up while they are trying to schedule a convenient time for your interview.  Make sure you have access to a relatively quiet place, and where you get good reception. Also, check to make sure you have the correct time conversion as well.

It Will be Short

Unlike most job phone interviews, this one will be really short. How short? A typical interview will be 15 minutes long (although I’ve had a few that have been less than 10 minutes. In that brief amount of time, recruiters are not looking at what you say, but how you say it.  So, it’s important to speak as clearly as possible. Enunciate words and do not speak too fast, or too slow.

They Will Ask  (A Few) Questions

During the interview, you will talk to either the director of the school, or the person in charge of hiring. After they give you a brief introduction about the school, they will ask you a  few basic questions about the school. Here are a few questions I was asked during the interview process:
  • How did you hear about our school? Be as honest as possible. If you heard great things about the school online, say that. If you were recommended from a friend, that’s even better.
  • Why do you want to come to Korea? It’s good to list a few “PR” reasons here. “I’ve always wanted to teach children,” and “I am interested in learning more about Korean culture” are good responses. I did a combination of both in many of my interview answers: “I love to travel and teach, and it seems that South Korea would allow me to pursue both opportunities.”
  • Why do you think you will be a good teacher in Korea? Emphasize good qualities that you can list from your resume.  For example, you could say, “I love teaching and working with children,” or, “I have previous teaching experiences.” I talked about my previous tutoring positions and working as a dance coach.
  • Moving to a new country is a big adjustment. How good are you at adapting to a new situation? Talk about a time in your work or school experience that shows you are capable of adapting quickly to a new situation. If you have traveled extensively or studied abroad, both would be great examples.

Don’t Ask (too many) Questions

In many Western countries, it’s a good idea to ask questions. In some ways, asking questions shows that you are paying attention and interested in a topic.  This is not the case in South Korea. Although it is good to ask one or two questions, do not ask too many questions directly to our prospective employer.  Asking too many questions shows some employers that you are inept and unable to perform a job.  Ask 1-2 questions, and leave the rest for recruiters afterward, or within an email exchange.  here are some good questions to ask:
  • How many hours a week would I be teaching?
  • How many foreign (as in Western teachers) will I be working with?
  • What is the age range of my students? (If not posted online)

After the Interview

It’s not necessary to send a follow-up thank you email. Most of the time, you should here from the school within a few hours or days.  If you have not heard from a school in almost a week, email the recruiter or the contact person.
From there, it’s time to negotiate a contract!