Pongo Resume

Sound bites—those memorable lines or slogans that jump out at you during a speech or presentation—can leave lasting impressions. They can even compel people to buy products; just look at successful companies that thrive on slogans, such as The Home Depot ("More saving, more doing.") or Dunkin' Donuts ("America Runs on Dunkin'").

In a phone interview, a sound bite can have the same effect since you must rely on your voice to make a memorable impression. Most employers use phone interviews to weed a large field of qualified candidates down to a handful of finalists. A sound bite that summarizes your value can help the employer buy into you and your skills, and, in turn, lead to an in-person interview, maybe even a job offer.

How can you craft a winning sound bite for a phone interview? Try this simple method:

(1) Examine the job posting and highlight words and phrases that match your qualifications.

(2) Think of a way to show you have what they want in a memorable phrase or simple sentence.

Example: You're an experienced graphic designer, and the job posting calls for someone with your skills who can:

• Work with clients in the hospitality industry
• Effectively prioritize work
• Plan resources to meet client commitments and deadlines
• Balance multiple priorities.

Possible sound bites include:

• "The hospitality industry by nature is very customer-service focused, and so am I. Like a hotel or restaurant, 'I deliver service with a smile.' "
• "My goal with every project is to deliver something that makes the client say, 'Wow!' "
• "I love what I do, and I'm at my most creative when I have to meet a deadline. So, for me, the words 'deadline' and 'pressure' don't really belong next to each other."

Voila! Three sound bites.

But you don't have to stop at three! Prepare as many as you'd like, then practice saying them in front of someone as you prepare for the interview. Which ones go over well? Which ones sound too cheesy? Write down the good ones. Have them in front of you during the phone interview, and use one or two if they fit into the conversation without sounding forced.

A well-placed, clever sound bite in your phone interview may be just what it takes to be memorable and earn an in-person interview.

Have you ever impressed an interviewer with something you said? Tell us about it in a comment below.

RELATED LINKS

Phone Interview Survival Tips
Phone Interview: Tips and Tricks
Talk is Cheap, Except in the Phone Interview

Wonderful post, Rick! Preparing sound bites ahead of time that match the actual job is a great way to help the candidate leave a lasting impression - and help the phone screener, whoever that person may be, feel the match. I second your sound advice to be careful to only use the bites that fit - and never to force if they don't.

Your words remind me of someone I was interviewing via phone who was clearly eager to tell me everything they wanted me to know, but I already knew that stuff from the resume and cover letter. I was trying to get a feeling for them as a person!

@ Ronnie -- Thanks! You reinforce a point we like to make about interviews: The resume gets you the interview. The interview - phone or live - puts your personality on display and helps the hiring manager determine how well you might *fit* in the job and with the company.

I am a recruiter for a Fortune 500. While I like your sound bites idea there was too much "I" with no solid foundation in your examples. "I deliver service with a smile" is good to hear but I would prefer to hear " I have delivered service to an average of 50 customers per day with an average rating of 4.5 out of 5! Specific and shows me that you are going to bring value to our company.

Even better would be a sound bite quoting what a former supervisor or customer said about you rather than using "I".

Remember, and I do not mean to be harsh, we are looking for people that will add value and make us look good!

@ Carolyn -- Thanks very much for adding your perspective!

You make good points. While sound bites may be pleasing to the ear, the applicant needs to back them up with substance from their work experience. That's one of the things we always emphasize on this blog.

Yes, companies want each new hire to add value to the company. Yet job seekers are doing the best to sell themselves, and using "I" in the interview is largely unavoidable.

I like your comment about getting a testimonial from a former supervisor or customer. Would you prefer to read that on a resume, hear it in an interview, or hear it during the reference-check process?