You may think face-to-face meetings are more important but you may have to perform well on a phone interview in order to have a face-to-face meeting with the employer. Phone interviews may not be as detailed as the in-person interview but it does not mean the prospective candidate should be less prepared. A lot of people do not understand that a phone interview is just that, an interview. It is the first contact you make with the employer and it is important to make a good impression. If the initial “meeting” does not go well, they may not consider you for an in-person interview. Think about it as a screening process. The employer is trying to decide if it will be worth their time to meet you. Therefore, you need to be just as prepared. You need to be available exactly when the interview is scheduled, speak clearly, professionally and have your resume available to answer any questions the interviewer may have. We use many different methods to communicate on the job, sometimes we use email, sometimes we meet clients/customers and sometimes our only interaction with our client/customer may be over the phone. You want to demonstrate that you can effectively communicate and can be engaging no matter what kind of communication method is used. And always remember to be courteous! Thank them for speaking with you.