Similar to a general phone interview, a technical interview's success tool is the candidate's voice. It is the gateway to cement a place in the organization. The tell us about yourself' question is also a common factor that it shares with the general phone interview. It is better to write down the answer prior to the interview.
Clear communication holds the key to success in such an interview. The interviewer asks questions starting from what is given in the resume, like some specific technologies used. It is better to understand the question clearly, pause for a little thinking and give a crisp answer. Dragging words in the answer irritates most interviewers. A pen and paper would be handy to write down some questions, solving problems or to write code.
Questions during a technical phone interview start with aptitude, basic math, basics of computing, questions about the current technology working on and writing code for different problems like sorting, string matching. Frequent questions are also about linked lists, sorting linked lists, algorithms and library functions. Some interviews ask to write down the exact code and read out, while some prefer pseudocode.
Technical interview questions can be anywhere from the resume. Starting with general questions about the technology, the questions can lead to more intricate corners of programming. Preparing a list of expected questions would help. A probable question in an interview is an intersection of the company's requirement and the candidate's expertise. It would be apt to go through the advertisement placed by the company before facing the interviewer. Reading other company's advertisements for similar requirements would also help. Some companies also mention about additional skills in their advertisements, which are very helpful to stand out among a huge lot of competitors.
Technical interviews also include general questions about sticking to deadlines, working under pressure etc. It is important to do some research about the company, its products, new product launches, acquisitions, mergers, tie-ups ad market performance. This would reflect the candidate's interest in the company's development. It is also good to know about latest developments in the field or technology the candidate is working on. Most interviewers may not volunteer to question about the latest developments, but it is good to sandwich the extra knowledge between the answers. These could also be jotted out and kept by the side for reference during the interview.
A little relaxation is needed before the interview. Reading about technologies, company profile etc. till the moment of answering the call would indeed turn the opportunity into a mess. It is better to do the research a day in advance, have a good night sleep, a simple breakfast and be ready for the interview with the collected notes, paper and a pen. Finding ways to tackle interview stress would prove fruitful. A technical phone interview carries more value than the general phone interview, with an advantage of not being as tense as a personal technical interview. It could fetch great success if properly utilized.