Meeting with a recruiter face to face can be difficult in the fields of international development, humanitarian aid and global health: Employers are often half a world away from the consultants or staff they seek to hire, and even if you’re interviewing for a position close to home, the first interview could be over the phone.
Here are some suggestions for acing a phone interview – many of them geared especially toward the globe-trotting aid worker who is communicating across time zones and cultures to make the world a better place.
For the most part, aid workers in the field, especially independent consultants, should adapt to the recruiter’s time zone when scheduling a call. Don’t expect a human resources official in New York City to agree to an 8 a.m. interview just so you can take the call at 6 p.m. in Islamabad. Be considerate of the interviewer’s schedule, and accept the fact you may have to stay up late or wake up early.