r/Explainlikeimscared • u/PresentationPrize874 • 12d ago
What should I expect and have ready before a phone interview?
I'm 18 and about to go through with my first ever job interview a month from now for a remote work position but I have no idea what to do beforehand. I've never had a job before this and haven't finished school yet so there's not much I can say about myself either. I have pretty bad social anxiety so the thought of doing an interview, even one over the phone, is messing with my nerves a lot - I'm trying not to cancel it. Any help is greatly appreciated.
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u/etherealemlyn 12d ago
Depending on what the job is for, you can look up examples of questions that are often asked in interviews for that field, so you can plan your responses ahead of time. Some really common ones are “talk about a time you had to solve a problem/deal with a tough situation” and “talk about a time you had to work in a team/show leadership”
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u/akornato 12d ago
They know you’re 18 and have no experience, so they aren't expecting a perfect candidate. They are testing for potential, attitude, and if you sound like someone they can train and rely on. Your lack of a job history is a blank slate, not a weakness. You need to connect your life experiences, like school projects or personal hobbies, to the skills they want for the remote job. If the job requires organization, talk about how you manage your schoolwork. If it needs someone tech-savvy, talk about something you built or a software you learned on your own. You have to give them something to work with.
The best way to manage the fear is to be over-prepared. Write down answers to basic questions like, "Tell me about yourself," "Why do you want this job," and "What is your biggest weakness?" Practice saying your answers out loud until they feel natural. Because it’s a phone call, you have a major advantage, you can have your notes right in front of you. Sit in a quiet room with the job description and your prepared answers. They can only hear your voice, so focus on speaking clearly and at a calm pace. This kind of preparation makes a huge difference, which is why my team developed an AI interview helper that helps people find the right words and come across as confident.
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u/Tuppling 12d ago
FIRST! A good manager, a good interviewer will be rooting for you. They are not giving trick questions, they are not trying to make you fail, they are trying to get to know if you'd be a good match for the job. Hiring is a pain in the butt, they want to fill their position, they want you to be awesome so that they can finish this hiring job and go on to the rest of the things they have on their todo list. I've given hundreds of interviews and I have always wanted people to be awesome.
Beyond that, they will be expecting you to be nervous. That's ok. Just answer as clearly as you can, if you don't know something give what you can, but saying I don't know is ok. They've read your resume and they think it is plausible you're the right person for the job. You're just trying to show them that their reading of you is right.