Deborah Meyer ⋅ Columbus, OH Anthem, Inc. ⋅ 35 years experience

Very thorough and great suggestions from Mike (especially A-D).

Kamran - I would also urge you to research the company culture...view company website, Glassdoor and other sites. Chances are their corporate value statements/mission etc. will appear in some of your interview questions. How does this align with your own past experience, how have you demonstrated these same values or attributes?
If you can think if specific examples and be prepared...when asked how you have demonstrated xyz - you will be ready with a response. Best wishes, Deborah

Mike Cottell ⋅ Glen Head, NY Michael T Cottell Consulting ⋅ 42 years experience

Hi Kamran, congratulations on getting the upcoming interview. Investor Relations is a critical department in any organization as they are the voice to the community buying the stock or lending capital. As you know, stock price is a combination of fact ( EPS -earnings per share) and a multiple ( x times EPS) , so the confidence the investors have in the strength of the business going forward and its ability to grow is heavily influenced by the Investor Relations group. Investors want a few things to believe in a stock or lend capital and then influence the multiple of a stock or continue lending:
1) Predictability to hit the stated #'s -stockholders/ lenders hate surprises
2) Consistency of growth- slow and steady is better than wild rides up and down--by far
3) Confidence in Management
4) Low Sector Risk-if your company is solid, but in a volatile sector, that is risk.

Your ability to convey to the CEO that you have a reasonable command of the following is important:
a) The company, their strategies, opportunities , threats etc.. Research as much as you can on line and talking to people.
b) The ability to know the sector they do business in and those same issues for the sector.
c) Who are the competitors?
d) To be able to speak persuasively and confidently. Practice your pitch
To That end, ask yourself the following questions and be prepared to convey your thoughts to the CEO:
1) Why did you pick this company to interview at?
2) Why you vs all other candidates?
3) Specific examples of how you can add value to the team
4) Addressing my points A-D above
5) Have a few questions for the CEO
I am not a trained financial expert, but I was an SVP in a large public corporation , so I know how it works. I will hope a few advisors with an expertise in finance jump in for you. If publically traded stock is not part of the equation, my advice holds true because the lenders of capital have the same mindset. GOOD LUCK!
Best Regards, Mike

Jennifer Polhemus ⋅ Santa Monica, CA Precision Research (self-employed) ⋅ 25 years experience

For some people, standing up while on the telephone adds timber to their voice and increases confidence.

Make sure you use a landline.

Vary the pace of your speech a bit during the interview, and use inflection and pauses, to increase interest.

Try to squeeze some of your personality into the phone receiver, so YOU stand out, not just your qualifications stand out.

Go get 'em!

Gail Baccetti ⋅ Lake Geneva, WI Retired ⋅ 42 years experience

Kamran, you've already received some good guidance, but maybe I can add a few ideas.

First, dress neatly for the phone interview, sit upright at a desk, and have a way to take notes. Yes, sometimes our tone of voice is effected by how we are positioned, so be prepared.

Second, be ready with a list of your accomplishments, quantified whenever possible. Think of this list as those items you would want to make sure were included in your performance appraisal at the end of the year. Or as something you did better than the average person would have done in the same job. Use these acheivements to answer questions in such a way as to show how you excel at what you do. If you don't have the opportunity to mention something, feel free to ask permission at the end of the interview to add a few more details to help them understand who you are. Then quickly touch on one or two items from your list.

Third, if possible, do a practice run with someone. I would be happy to do a mock phone interview with you, if you would like. You can contact me at gbaccetti@hotmail.com.

Fourth, use LinkedIn to see if you can connect with someone else from the company. Maybe someone you know is linked to someone else. Then ask for a few minutes of their time, and use it to learn more about the company and, if possible, the actual job.

Good luck!

Gail