Phone interviews are becoming increasingly common. You should be prepared for these kinds of interviews, whether they happen or not, because the last thing you would want is to have a potential employer contact you without having thought about what you would say to them. Even though you may not physically see the employer while on the phone, you should still handle the interview just as professionally as you would, if you were sitting in an office and interviewing face-to-face.

Every interviewer is different. You don’t know what they may or may not ask you, so it isn’t like you can just have the answers to their questions written down and read them as you go along. However, there are certain questions that you can expect to get asked.

For example, employers want to know how you found out about the available position and what interested you most in what the job posting listed. From the answers your provide, the employer will understand how seriously you are taking your job search, and may begin to get a feel for your professionalism in the workplace. During that time, the interviewer may explain a bit more about the business, allowing you to gather more information about what you will do on a daily basis if you were hired.

The employer that is interviewing you might ask why you are searching for a job, especially if you already have one. If you didn’t have a job, you can simply be honest and explain that you were previously unemployed.

If you were employed, you should avoid talking badly about your previous employer, even if he or she was absolutely terrible to you. Instead, make the answer more motivational and discuss how you are looking to expand your career and take on both new and exciting opportunities. It makes you look like a better person when you are not bashing someone else, even if they’ve treated you bad.

During the interview, you should also freely discuss what you are good at and what you have to offer. Employers want to know what you can do for them because that is the whole reason they are hiring you in the first place. You don’t have to explain every last thing, but do go over some of your skills and specialties so that your possible new employer knows what you excel at and what you actually like doing. There is a lot of good that can come out of a positive phone interview.