Athena,

While phone interviews can be tough (because you don't get the kind of visual feedback that you do during an in-person interview), there are some advantages to not being seen. For example, you can use "cheat sheets" to help you remember important talking points. During a phone interview, I always print out the following and keep them nearby to refer to if necessary:
- The job posting
- My resume (or an expanded version of it)
- A list of questions I've prepared for the search committee
- A "fact sheet" that I've prepared about the institution I'm interviewing for (this usually includes names of programs they're doing, the name of their library catalog, a key phrase or two from their mission statement, etc.)

The trick to this is that you're still going to have to be on your toes during the interview - so you won't be able to read the materials in front of you at that time. But they're there for when your mind blanks. For example, if they ask what attracted you to the position, being able to refer to the mission statement or a specific outreach program (by its proper name!) can really show them you've done your homework. Having your resume can remind you of projects you've done when they ask about instruction experience and the like... and so on.

With 20 questions, it's likely that you'll have an entire committee on the other end of the phone. Try to get everyone's name. Speak slowly, and if you're on speaker phone, pause for a second before replying (or your response may be slightly cut off). Don't be afraid to ask someone to repeat a question. And because you can't see if folks are nodding or yawning, I'd recommend asking "Does that answer your question, or would you like me to expand on that?" once in a while to be sure that you're giving enough information to the committee.

There's no way to predict what they'll ask, but its a good idea to be able to produce a concrete example of how you have fulfilled the specific qualities listed in the job posting. If the posting invites applicants with "Experience in instruction", "expertise in searching databases" and "strong customer service skills", you want to be ready to answer questions with specific examples of your experience in those areas. Questions like: "Tell us about your style in teaching library skills, and why you feel that's been successful", "tell us about a time you delivered excellent customer service", or "Describe your experience using library databases"

Other tips:

-Don't assume that everyone at the table is familiar with your resume.
-Offer to email examples of your work or presentations (if relevant)
-Dress for the interview (looking the part will make your brain act the part!)
-Make them laugh! (Try to get your personality to come across a bit... hard to do on the phone, but remember that these folks are also choosing a coworker!)
-Have some water handy! (You'll get thirsty after 20 questions...)
-Choose a quiet spot. Have your phone fully charged or plugged in.

And from personal experience: Put your cat/dog in another room. Somehow, they'll sense that this is very important to you and (a)knock over your water, (b) eat your cheat sheets and/or (c) insist on chewing on electrical cords during the entire interview. Trying to kick a cat while interviewing does not put you at your best...

Good luck!

You say you have had an on campus interview. Some organization do conduct longer phone interviews that are very similar. Anything that traditionally comes up in the in-person interview may also come up over the phone. This is your chance to impress so prepare as if you are going to the library.

I recently conducted a phone interview with a candidate. The committee planned on 15-20 minutes so we could just get to know a little more about the candidate. It turned in to 45 minutes as the person was well prepared and the committee was very interested in learning more.

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Brian C. Gray
Head of Reference & Engineering Librarian
Kelvin Smith Library
Case Western Reserve University
http://blog.case.edu/bcg8
bcg8@case.edu

Athena,

It's always hard to answer a question when you feel like they've hit on something that you don't know much about. In those situations it can be helpful to use it as an opportunity to say what you DO know about the topic, and then mention something you've done that was similar, or that used similar skills. If all else fails, talk about how anxious you would be to get involved in that or to learn more about it! You might not convince them that you know about the topic, but you'll probably convince them that you could pick it up fast!