Recruiters are constantly finding new ways to connect with job seekers, and some of the methods in which companies conduct interviews have changed. Phone interviews are quickly becoming a norm for a lot of top firms, and it’s increasingly important for people to conduct themselves appropriately in this format. Today’s post is written by guest blogger Paula Jae  of 360training.com. Paula is a 23 year old blogger and a social media enthusiast who is happily living a reality outside of her comfort zone.

When job hunting, the two least certain aspects are the job interview and the phone interview. You have to ace these aspects (or nearly so) to convince your interviewer that you’re the man (or woman) for the job—whether the job is for a pharmacy technician, pr exec, life insurance agent, or a medical transcriptionist.

So how do you prepare for the interview? Here are some essentials, according to career-advice.monster.com:

• Approach the phone interview as if it were the face-to-face interview itself.
• Ready your resume and cover letter and have them on hand for the phone interview.
• Prepare bulleted notes.
• Make sure your phone is working properly and its audio quality is excellent.
• Freshen up and dress appropriately (it’s for the psychology of the moment—the interviewer won’t see you, of course).
• Stand up (people literally think better on their feet).

As you would for the face-to-face interview, research all the important things to know about the company, memorize the key deliverables given in the job description, and rehearse your responses based on those deliverables.

Bear in mind that the phone interview is the face-to-face interview, minus the video. In many ways it’s a dress rehearsal, so you have to dress for the part. By primping yourself up, you’re putting yourself in the correct frame of mind and even more important, endowing yourself with the psychological stature of the best person for the job.

I came across an article initially posted on PR daily back in September 2011. It has some great tips for people starting out in school, and how to maximize their time while not at class throughout the day. Have a look through these tips that are guaranteed to help in obtaining that coveted position out of school.

Work part time. Balancing school, social life, and a job will teach you time management. You’ll spend the rest of your life trying to strike a work/life balance, so the time to practice is now. You’ll make some money, gain experience, and still have time to party; you’ll also have to be more focused and disciplined when you focus on homework. If at all possible, make that job an internship related to your field. It’s never too early to gain relevant experience.

Attend (at least) one networking event per month. Join a student organization, attend an event hosted by a professional organization in your industry, attend a conference, arrange a lunch with a professor or mentor, travel to the city you want to live in when you graduate and meet with alumni from your school, attend a career fair—the options are endless. Try to schedule events to get you out of the house and into a situation to meet people with something in common.

Make time for fun. You know that as a student your top priority needs to be your schoolwork. Don’t slack on the grades. Work hard, learn as much as possible, and take college seriously. It will pay off once you hit the workplace. But make time for fun, too. Unfortunately, too many college students sacrifice their social lives to stay on top of overwhelming class workloads. Find a balance. Meet new people. Spend time with friends. After everyone graduates and parts ways, it’s harder to spend time together, so don’t waste the time you’ve got.

Find a mentor. Reach out to someone you think can give you good advice and will be able to teach you something about the career path you want to take. See if that person is willing to grab lunch, a drink, or have a phone call every few weeks or so to talk about current events, case studies, job advice, or anything else you think will help you along the way. Having mentors throughout your career will be valuable. It’s never too soon to start.

Go to an industry conference. Find out whether any conferences in your industry of choice are happening locally—or close enough to drive—and find a way to attend. If registration prices are out of reach for your professional development budget, contact the organizers to find out if there is a student rate or whether they might waive your registration fee if you help with the set-up or by checking in attendees. You can also ask a professor or student organization leader if they can help you find sponsorship to attend on the organization’s behalf and be prepared to come back and share what you learned. You will meet professionals in your industry, and you will probably gain valuable information from the speakers. It’s great fodder for interviews when you’re inevitably asked what you’ve done beyond your course work to prepare for a position.

Do something on your bucket list. Seriously, use your spring break to travel somewhere you’ve always wanted to visit, start that side project you’ve been meaning to get around to, learn a new skill, jump out of an airplane (with a parachute, please)—do something that will totally energize you to do what you want with your life.

Become a student of your industry. Learn about different agencies or companies you think you may want to work for. Learn who the big players are in the industry. Follow the news. Educate yourself about technologies and trends that will someday affect your work and your clients. Train yourself to be constantly learning about what will make you a more valuable employee.

Build a portfolio. Keep track of work you do along the way, and set it aside so you can easily build a portfolio when you need it. You don’t want to throw together a sloppy set of work samples you compile at the last minute when an interviewer asks for it. If you stay organized and create work with the intention of showing it to your potential future employer, you’ll have more options to choose from before you need them.